By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has promised to build bus terminals in Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils as a way of complementing the ones in Mabushi, Kugbo and the Central Business District CBD, thereby boosting intra-city transportation.

The .minister disclose this on Saturday in Abuja after inspecting ongoing renovation works at the Abuja International Conference Centre AICC and a 12-kilometre road project in the Ushafa area of Bwari Area Council.

He said; “Obviously, last time we went to Mabushi and Kugbo bus terminals. Of course, we will have another one in the Central Area. We have agreed that we are going to establish one in Gwagwalada and one in Bwari, so that you have people who will take you from Bwari down to the city. Either you are going to the Mabushi area or to the Kugbo bus terminal, or to the Central Business Area bus terminal. The same thing applies to Gwagwalada. 

“By the time we have done that, you can imagine that people will be safe, people will be secure. You can now go to any bus terminal, board a bus or a taxi, and go to where you are going without having this problem of ‘one chance’. Except you on your own decide to go on the road to stay and take taxis. In that case, government has done what it is supposed to do, so it is no longer our problem”. 

He reiterated the determination of his administration to extend development to every part of the territory, saying he is not concentrating on the city centre alone.

“I have said severally that we are not concentrating in the city, we are also paying attention to the satellite towns. The total road length is not less than 12 kilometers. That has linked up the entire Ushafa. 

“Yesterday, we were at Gwagwalada and Kwali. That tells you that the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also particularly concerned about paying attention to the satellite towns. You know that we are also working on Kuje to Gwagwalada dualization.

“You can also see we are just coming from the International Conference Center, which is world-class. You can remember the directive of Mr President that we should give Nigerians the best as we can, and that is what we have done. 

“All the projects will not be commissioned by Mr President. I mean, others will also do, like schools and the rest of them. But basically, the major ones that touch the satellite towns, and the major ones that touch the city, we think that Mr President will do. I pleaded with Mr President, one or two of the roads in satellite towns, Mr President should be able to go, so that the people will see Mr President and appreciate him for the job that he has done. I mean, to remind people, all of us know how this place was, and see how it looks today. By the time all the streetlights have been completed, it will be a different thing.

From here to the city is not up to 35 minutes, and that is the essence of decongesting the city, making people to stay within their satellite towns. Because if you provide the amenities, nobody will be interested in moving to the city. Rural-urban migration is actually because of lack of amenities and infrastructure in the rural areas”, he added.