Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed as tissues of lies, a social media report that he acquired a N300 million Armoured Lexus LX600 just a day after he was sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking after a tour of the Abuja Light Rail, Wike challenged journalists to inspect his vehicle and confirm whether it was the bulletproof variant or otherwise.
He said: “We are now going to the office to have a direct report from each of the departments, but I have seen what is going on in the social media, how you (FCTA Permanent Secretary) bought a bulletproof car of N300 Million Naira that I am using.
“So, I want you people to go hit your hand there (on the car) and see whether it is a treated car. With all due respect, people should be careful not to destroy other people.
“When I came, the Permanent Secretary said they have a car for us, and the car we use is this. I have never approved any car to be bought and I have not used an official bulletproof car. Whether I have cars as governor? Yes, as a governor, what do you expect I should have? But I am not using bulletproof car as FCT Minister, so we should report the right thing, and not destroy ourselves. I want you to take a look at where you have the flag, and see whether it is a bullet-proof car.”
Light rail
Wike who toured the light rail from the metro station to the Abuja airport, told the contractors, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), to reduce their one-year timeline for the completion of the vandalised portion of the project to at most eight months.
While saying he was in a hurry to deliver, the minister said Abuja residents must begin to feel the presence of the government immediately.
After the train ride from the metro station to the airport and Idu stations to inspect the ongoing rehabilitation project of the rail system, the minister described it as a “good project”.
He added that if completed, it would significantly reduce traffic congestion in the city.
“This is one of the projects we will complete and put to use. The money for the rehabilitation is on ground and I have already directed the Permanent Secretary, (FCT Administration, Mr Adesola Olusade) to make sure that the contractor is paid.
“We will work to ensure that in the next coming months, this project is commissioned and put to public use,” he said.
Wike said: “People can only have confidence in the rail if the existing one is working, we will make this route work before we talk of another route.”
He further stressed that, “it is not a good idea to begin another rail project while the one that was finished is not working, saying, every project that commenced must be finished before embarking on another one, considering the availability of resources.”
“I assure the public that the rail transport system is a project we will take to a logical conclusion.
“Before commencing another project, we will need to determine which areas are the most traffic areas. This is very important to decongest areas with traffic congestion,” added the former governor.
Wike however lamented that the Metro Station – Airport route was not very viable, adding that in the nearest future, his administration would begin work on commercially viable routes linking places like Nyanya and Kubwa to the city centre.
He also queried why the perimeter fence of the metro station was not completed, noting that FCT officials and the contractors should not complain of vandalism when the basic security requirement had not been put in place.
Speaking further on the imperative of the transport sector, he said: “Transportation is one of the sectors I intend to transform in the short time to improve public transportation in the nation’s city.
“Transportation is one of the sectors we intend to intervene in the short time to reduce traffic congestion within the city.
“I know that we have a metro station in Abuja, and it is not working, why is it not working? Can we fix it within a short time?”
FCT minister of state
In her remarks, Minister of State for FCT Dr Mariya Mahmoud said assessing the problems affecting the rail transport and finding ways to address them would help in putting the system to public use.
“The transport system is one of the palliative measures that President Bola Tinubu wants to provide to the public.
“We are in the ARMT Metro Station to look at what is on ground, what the challenges are and what is expected of the ministry to move the transportation system to the next level.”
PS Adesola remarks
Earlier, FCTA Permanent Secretary Olusade Adesola hinted that Wike was known to many as a master of projects, adding that it was not surprising that his first assignment outside the office was a visit to a project site.
He noted that the ARMT system was challenged by massive vandalisation of rail infrastructure during COVID-19 lockdown, adding that private security companies have been engaged to salvage the situation.
“We are already developing a framework for the assignment, and we look forward to this project contributing significantly to the reduction of the pains of the removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
Also speaking, FCTA Director of Transportation Joseph Akinteye, disclosed that the ARMT system rehabilitation project, consists of Lots 1 A and 3 span 45.245 kilometres (km).
Akinteye stated that the ARMT system phase 1, which comprises Lots 1 and 3, made up of 77.775 km, out of six Lots designated by the Transportation Master Plan, was awarded in 2007.
Akinteye, however, said only Lots 1 A and 3, made up of 45.245 km, was completed in 2017 and commissioned in 2018.
…Wike on street trading
Also in a related development, the FCT minister has prohibited street trading within Abuja.
Wike attributes the ban to his belief that individuals engaging in activities like selling corn and street hawking contribute to the insecurity and criminal occurrences in the nation’s capital.
He spoke while addressing the leadership teams of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The former Rivers state governor urged them to be committed to doing the “right things”.
“The important thing we must do is to ensure that Abuja is back to what it ought to be. I moved around Abuja and found out there is total darkness in most of the places. What we need to do is to ensure light comes back as soon as possible.
“If you are in charge of sanitation, I will call you at any time of the day. We shouldn’t allow motor parks all over the place. Something must be done as soon as possible. If you cannot meet up my standard, say it now so that we can change you,” he said.
The minister also said the prevailing hard times should not be reason for lawlessness in the capital city.
He said: “Street trading is prohibited. People selling corn will drop their waste indiscriminately and these are the things that cause insecurity. Criminals come to buy and use the opportunity to spy and give information to criminals. It is imperative we clear street hawkers.
“Development control is a serious crisis area we have to stop. Why are there illegal structures and shanties everywhere? We will demolish any illegal structure. No matter how highly placed, the structure will come down.”
