THE  restoration of the Abuja master plan became a sing-song during the Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s tenure as FCT Minister. During the period, several buildings worth billions of naira were demolished for the simple reason of restoring the Abuja master plan and maintaining environmental cleanliness and sanity in the federal capital Abuja.

Gladly, the Senator Bala Mohammed administration has the same vision to make Abuja an international investors’ destination. Unfortunately, this vision may remain a pipe dream with the activities of some touts who want to frustrate the minister’s efforts by turning Utako market axis into a vehicle loading bay.

As we all know, one way of ensuring the sanctity of a city’s master plan as well as maintaining its environmental standard is to consign motor vehicle operators and their passengers within the precincts of well organised motor parks, otherwise with the high volume of human and vehicular traffic involved, our streets and cities will be turned into one huge jungle. These unwholesome activities peak up from 6am daily along Berger Junction-Utako Market towards JabiPark.

Of recent, we have started noticing the rate at which small intra and inter-city vehicles have been unleashed on the Jabi-Berger junction axis of the federal capital, especially along Utako market stretching up to ABC Transport and beyond. Surprisingly, these transporters have the effrontery to load right in front of the police station, and one begins to wonder if the authorities are in the know of the apparent desecration of our environment. Today, it is common to behold buses loading passengers on the road, and the first question that comes to mind is why the relevant government agencies like Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Vehicles Inspection Officials and the Police will stand by and watch Abuja roads being turned into loading bay. To worsen the situation is that the VIOs always play hide and seek when it comes to implementing the rule regarding these violators of the rules guiding loading and off-loading of vehicles.

For heaven’s sake, why would the road workers abandon the designated motor parks and turn public places like roads and walkways into loading bay. From Utako market, running down to ABC towards Jabi park is a scenery unfit to be mentioned as a district in Abuja due to the untidy cluster of vehicles loading passengers. They also litter the road/streets with pure water sachets and other rubbish.

It is important to point out that regardless of the environmental hazard which such activity constitutes to the public, there is also the convenience for passengers. A situation where you lack toilet facilities, human beings under nature’s pressure will be forced to defecate and urinate in any available space. Therefore, to site all the activities related to motor transport in designated areas such as motor parks is not only desirous but a compelling necessity.

Furthermore, such unwholesome practice is totally inconsistent with a new federal capital like Abuja which plays host to several international organisations. Obviously, such indecent sight will project Nigeria very negatively, as some international visitors or tourists in the course of their city tours take photographs which they relay back home. It is better imagined what negative impact such images will have on our foreign investments drive as a nation.

It is even more worrisome that after about one year some Turkish investors were announced to have agreed to partner with the FCTA administration to upgrade the Jabi park facilities to international standard, up till this moment there is no sign of any new development. The razzmatazz of the purported agreement with a Turkish firm to redesign and rebuild Jabi park into a modern park has only but remained on the pages of newspapers the announcement was carried. Rather, what has been noticed is that major roads have been turned into motor parks.

In the bid to comprehend the decision to permit what may be considered “chaos” on Abuja streets, the question that readily comes to mind is what has been the role of the Police, Abuja Environmental Protection Board and the VIOs in all these. From all indications, the tell-tale signs appear as though integrity has been compromised at the altar of pecuniary gains by those whose responsibility it is to enforce traffic and environmental rules. Regrettably, most of the people found near the Utako market loading vehicles will readily flaunt their AMAC permits to any inquisitive “intruder”.

Through this medium, a passionate call is being made on the FCT administration to immediately restore order and sanity along the Jabi-Berger junction axis, as the present chaotic use of city roads and pedestrian walkways for loading and off-loading of passengers by transporters is quite unbefitting of Abuja’s status as a federal capital.

Another disturbing trend is that alcohol sellers have now found these areas convenient for the sale of their products. The temptation for drivers to avail themselves of available drinks to assuage their taste without minding the grave implication to the safety of passengers is high. The negative effect of this is unimaginable when we consider the broader safety implications for drivers who convey human beings to long distances.

In those days that every transport company maintained decent parks and drivers were disciplined, travelling long distance journeys was pleasurable as accident rate was reduced to the barest minimum. Even the size of vehicles conveying passengers to different locations was considered by the relevant government agencies, unlike these where all manner of vehicles are permitted to ply our roads. Luxury buses that were made to run long distance journeys have reduced considerably in number due to lack of government regulation.

In those good old days sanity prevailed in that sector, unlike presently where the high rate of small vehicles that ply our roads pose a high risk to lives and properties. In those good old days, an accident involving one luxury bus was widely reported in the media, as against the present situation where people die in dozens from motor accidents that are hardly reported or under reported.

There is an urgent need for the federal government to immediately constitute a forum of well organized and committed transporters/companies with track record to chart a way forward for the transport sector.

It is important to point out that without adequate regulatory framework for the entire transport sector, the nation will remain at the mercy of charlatans and non professionals. With a transport framework in place, it will be easy to sift the chaff from the wheat and enable government to work with those accredited and recognized in the sector. While reforms are being carried out in the oil, agriculture, insurance sectors among others, is it out of place for reforms to be carried out in the transport sector?

The need to restore sanity to this sector, especially in the FCT is derived from the desire to help the hard working FCT minister realize his vision of making Abuja a befitting Federal Capital, and an international business hub in Africa.

Mr. UCHE NNADOZIE, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.