NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Politics

Tribunal: Coalition tasks judiciary on justice, respect for rule of law

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By Angela Atabo

The Coalition of Support Groups (CSG), has called on the judiciary to uphold justice and rule of law in the ongoing electoral tribunals across the country.

Mr Daniel Dumije, National Coordinator and Chairman of the group, made the call at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

The conference is tagged, “The State of the Nation’s Democracy, Constitution and the Independence of the Judiciary.”

Dumije said that the call had become imperative in view of the high number of politicians seeking redress at the court after the February General Elections.

According to him, the people see the judiciary as the last hope and where they can get justice, and as such, should not be disappointed.

“We, as CSG national and state bodies, have observed with utmost displeasure, the deteriorating state of the nation’s rule of law.

“There is, therefore, the need to deepen the independence of the judiciary.”

He urged legal practitioners to respect the law when addressing the concerns of aggrieved politicians, particularly election matters.

He reminded Nigerians of the need to collectively work hard to uphold the sanctity of the existence of the Nigerian nation.

“The onus is on you and I to make Nigeria greater than our forefathers did at their time.

“We will continue to support those saddled with the responsibility of steering the wheels of the nation in our journey to greatness for the good of all,” he said.

Earlier, Ms Blessing Elaigwu, National Secretary, CSG, said that the independence of the judiciary and respect for the rule of law, were crucial in stabilizing Nigeria’s democracy.

According to her, the judiciary arm of government is not only responsible for interpretation of the law, but also checks the excesses of the executive arm of government.

“They also serve as the custodian of the constitution and watchdogs of the rights and liberties of her citizens.

“The judiciary also settles disputes between individuals, parties or between organisations,” she said.

Elaigwu said that the popular definition of democracy was government of the people by the people and for the people and not autocracy.

She, therefore, stressed the need to respect the freedom of citizens to hold peaceful and lawful protests to air their minds.

“We will continue to be law abiding, but we are appealing to law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties of upholding the rules as enshrined in the constitution.

“By doing so, law defaulters will not have their way into government positions,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Deborah Coker and Philip Yatai

Education

Bugaje explains NBTE’s slogan, “skills not degrees”

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By Philip Yatai

Prof. Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says the board’s slogan, “Skills not Degrees”, is to encourage Nigerian youths to focus more on acquiring skills than certificates.

Bugaje made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

He said that the clarification became necessary following public misconception that the NBTE was discrediting university certificates in favour of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

“The meaning of the NBTE slogan, “Skills not Degrees” is that Nigerians should focus more on skills, because this is what the world needs.

“In other words, if you have a skill without even a degree, you can find a very good job.

“But if you have a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) or any other type of degree without skills, you will go nowhere. Nobody will employ you. That’s the main message,” he said.

The executive secretary urged Nigerian youths to focus on skills training to acquire skills qualification irrespective of the type of degree or higher diploma they have.

According to him, it is skills that will make Nigerian youths marketable in all global labour markets and make them more relevant to the needs of industries.

“So that is the message basically.”

The NBTE boss also advocated for a dual qualification where universities award bachelor’s degrees and the National Skills Qualification degrees simultaneously to promote skill-labour for self-reliance.

He explained that universities could make their student industrial work experience scheme more practical to enable students acquire necessary skills for self-employment.

He equally stressed the need for polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education to roll out skills programmes in addition to the award of National Diploma, Nigeria Certificate of Education and Higher National Diploma (HND).

Failure to do so, he said, will render the future of graduates of polytechnics and colleges of education bleak.

“A paradigm shift to skills and entrepreneurship has become imminent, with skill as the global labour currency for the 21st century economies,” he said.

On its HND to B.Sc. top up, Bugaje said that the programme was designed to facilitate career and academic progression of HND holders.

NAN reports that the NBTE on Aug. 14 announced the one-year top up programme, which could be applied through: https://topup.nbte.gov.ng, to convert HND certificate to a bachelor’s degree.

Bugaje said that the initiative would ease the suffering of HND holders in the country.

He pointed out that HND holders have been suffering for decades, adding that efforts were made to remove the dichotomy between HND and bachelor’s degrees without success.

According to him, HND represents the best products of the Polytechnic system, stressing the need for them to progress and study for masters’ degree and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. (NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Politics

Only LP candidates endorsed by me will feature in guber poll- Apapa

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By Angela Atabo

Lamidi Apapa, Labour Party (LP) factional leader, says only candidates endorsed by him can feature in the Nov.11 Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo governorship election.

Apapa said this when he spoke at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, saying that the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Owerri had affirmed him as the authentic National Chairman of the party.

He said that the court also sacked the Julius Abure led faction and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise governorship candidates produced by his faction for the election.

“You will recall that on April 5, the FCT High court restrained Abure and others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

“As a result, the party appointed the Deputy National Chairman Alhaji Lamidi Apapa as the acting national chairman of the party pursuant to its constitution.

“Sequel to that the party under my leadership wrote to INEC changing its date of primary election earlier scheduled by Abure from April 15 to April 16.

“Notwithstanding the fact that he was under a restraining order, Abure still went ahead to conduct his primaries for Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa on those dates,” he said.

Apapa said that on the other hand, his faction conducted primaries on April 16 making it two primaries conducted by the LP in the states.

“Peeved by the primary conducted by me, a candidate who participated in the Abure primary took my candidate to court whilst maintaining that Abure’s candidates were the authentic ones.

“The case was frantically defended, and the Federal High court, Owerri Division, declared the primaries conducted by me as the authentic candidate as Abure was under a restraining order as at the time he screened candidates and conducted his primaries,” he said.

Apapa said the court recognised him as the authentic Chairman of the party.

He said that dissatisfied with the FHC judgment, Abure’s candidates, including the winner of his primaries, appealed against the judgment to the Court of Appeal.

He said that the court of appeal had also affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court that Abure’s conduct was contemptuous as he was under a restraining order when he conducted the said primaries.

“That restraining order is still in force even at the time this judgment was delivered,’’ he said. (NAN)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

Health

Visual impairment: Expert advocate domestication of eye health policy

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By Justina Auta

Dr Joshua Ibenu, a Public Health Expert, has advocated for the domestication of the Eye Health Policy to improve eye health care and reduce the number of persons with visual impairment in Nigeria.

Ibenu made the call at a two-day capacity building for media practitioners organised by Sightsavers Nigeria, Thursday in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

He noted challenges of the eye health system to include policy and implementation, governance structure, human resources for eye health, evidence generation, and service delivery access, including infrastructure, technology, financing, and cost.

“Until 2019, there was no policy on eye health, and it was launched in 2022. But now, we are talking about domestication in every state. At the state level, the government is meant to look at it and see and apply it to each state.

“Also, human resources for eye health are very important. You need professionals to provide eye services, but they are not enough.

“We are still struggling with the number of General Practitioners, not to mention ophthalmologists. People need to start prioritising eye care. People want to prioritise other things than eye care,” he said.

According to him, it is estimated that 1,130,000 individuals aged 40 or above are currently blind in Nigeria and the North West geo-political zone has the largest number of blind adults (28.6 per cent) being the zone with the largest population.

He further said that 2,700,000 adults aged 40 or above are estimated to have moderate visual impairment and an additional 400,000 adults are severely visually impaired.

“Thus, a total of 4.25 million adults aged 40 or above in Nigeria are visually impaired or blind,” he said.

The expert noted that if visual impairment is tackled, the world could save over $400bn annually.

“85 per cent of blindness are as a result of avoidable causes but people do not know this.

“Some preventable causes of blindness are glaucoma, cornea opacity, poor sleep, unlimited screen time, and harmful traditional practices.

” Meanwhile, if we tackle blindness, we will be able to improve our health status in the country.

“Some traditional harmful practices are applying breast milk, lizard feaces, scent leaves, among others,” he said.

He also lamented the inadequate number of ophthalmologists in the country to take care of eye and vision conditions in the country, which he said affects access to the eye health care system.

Earlier, Dr Sunday Isiyaku, the Country Director of Sightsavers Nigeria, advised Nigerians to engage in regular eye checks every six months to enhance eye care and early diagnosis of eye health issues that might lead to visual impairment.

”It is mandatory to screen your eyes every six months to enable early diagnosis of eye problems. And with that, they will be able to detect any problem and commence treatment where necessary to prevent it from deteriorating.

“Sightsavers’ vision is of a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes, and we are committed to supporting individuals with visual impairments to access the support they need,” he said.

On his part, Mr David Okorafor, Project Officer, Economic Empowerment, Social Inclusion Unit, Sightsavers, stressed the need to promote disability rights and ensure social inclusion for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

“An estimate of over one billion persons or 15 per cent of the global population have a disability and 80 per cent live in low or middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organisation,” he said.

He added that the organisation was focused on citizenship and political participation, economic empowerment, inclusive health, and promotion of the rights of women and girls with disabilities.

Similarly, Mrs Esther Bature, called for more advocacies to improve inclusion in every sector for PWDs.

“We believe our projects should outlive us and our advocacy is to hold the government accountable by influencing and domesticating policies and putting it in place,” she said.

She also revealed that the organisation was also advocating for the implementation of the Marakesh Treaty, Inclusive Data charter for planning and execution of interventions and programmes aimed at ameliorating the plights of PWDs. (NAN)

JAD/ USO

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Edited by Sam Oditah

Foreign

Niger crisis: Don urges ECOWAS to prioritise diplomatic solutions

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By Muhammad Nur Tijani

A don, Prof. Kamilu Fagge, has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to prioritise diplomatic solutions to resolve current political impasse in Niger Republic.

It will be recalled that Niger, one of the 15 member states of the ECOWAS had been enmeshed in political imbroglio sequel to Coup d’etat.

In a swift reaction, the ECOWAS imposed a series of sanctions against the junta and threatened military action if the coup leaders failed to restore the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Fagge, a lecturer with the Department of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kano.

He stressed the need for the Commission to embrace dialogue and diplomatic response to the situation.

“The best way is for the leaders to sit down to negotiate through diplomatic response to achieve an amicable political solution.

“In some cases, you buttress your diplomacy with a show of force but the most stable way of resolving the crisis is through dialogue.

“This is not the first time we are having similar things, there are a lot of instances when either ECOWAS, African Union (AU) or United Nations promote dialogue and negotiations between the coup leaders and the third force.

“And when you reach that conclusion sometimes it is so stable.

“The irony of it is that, in this case, many of the people who are now calling for war or intervention in Niger, actually if you look at them, they too staged coups in their countries.

“Some were military leaders who have now ‘civilianise’, some are civilians but they staged a civilian coup by distorting the constitution, and by getting themselves into office for so many years.

“We have not exhausted all those options yet; we have to exhaust those options first before opting for war.

“And in any case, war should not be an option,” he said.

According to Fagge, people welcome democratic government because it allows for freedom of expression, and it comes about as a result of the concept of the people and also it is the people that decide who would rule them.

“Democracy is important in the eyes of the people. It is a government that engenders development. This is because it is accountable to the people, it promotes development and peace.

“Once you have people there are bound to be differences,” he said.

Fagge warned that the conflict portends serious economic implications for both the country and the region at large, adding the closure of Nigeria’s borders with Niger Republic compounded the problem of hunger and poverty among its citizens.

“Nigeriens get most of their things here and Nigeria is also bearing the brunt of this decision.

“It has been estimated that Nigeria loses not less than N13 billion every week by stopping trade with Niger.

“And there are speculations that Nigeria and Niger trade is a formal trade that accounts for over N170 billion annually.

“While the informal trade between the two countries accounts for over N580 billion annually.

“So, when you put these things together, it ranges from N900 billion to about N1 trillion that we are going to lose in terms of trade.

“Most of the people to be affected are Nigeriens who are business people transacting all sorts of businesses with Nigeriens.

“This has serious economic implications for both countries and for the region as a whole,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

Metro

Abuja City Gate Road to Constitution Avenue for completion in 7 months – Wike

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By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has promised to complete the construction of B6 and B12 roads, linking Constitution Avenue to City Gate, Abuja, in the next seven months.

Wike, who gave the assurance after a tour of some abandoned projects in Abuja on Thursday, added that the renovation of the Federal Secretariat would also be completed within seven to eight months.

The News Agency of Niger (NAN) reports that one of the abandoned projects visited was the Vice President’s residence, awarded since 2010.

Another project visited was the residence of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, close to the National Assembly complex, awarded in 2009.

The minister, in company of the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the Permanent Secretary, FCT Administration, Mr Adesola Olusade, also visited Millennium Tower construction site, at Central Area, Abuja.

The Millennium Tower is a multifunctional edifice with facilities for cultural exposition, tourism, socialisation, recreation, hospitality, and commercial activities.

Wike said that he does not like giving excuses, adding that he would do the best he can to deliver some of the projects, adding that those that the ministry cannot deliver, he would run to President Bola Tinubu for help.

He described the road linking the city gate to constitution avenue as a “very important infrastructure” that would change the landscape of Abuja.

He said that the construction company had promised to deliver the project in the next seven months if funds were made available.

He added that Julius Berger had also promised to deliver the renovation of the Federal Secretariat within seven to eight months.

“I want to assure you that in the next six to seven months the two projects would be completed,” he said.

On the residence of the Vice President and presiding officers of the National Assembly, the minister said that he would report to President Tinubu to agree on a way forward.

He described the Millennium building as a “very interesting facility” that ought to turn Abuja around, and bring tourists and families to have fun.

“We know we are going to face some challenges and we are here to solve problems. If there were no problem, President Tinubu would not have been here.

“He promised Nigerians that he knows their challenges and he will do anything he could to surmount them.

“Before we were sworn in, Mr president had told me and the Minister of State, to do everything we can to bring back some of the structures and facilities that will make Abuja a world class city.

“One of them is the road network and facilities like the Millennium Tower that will bring tourists and families to come around and have fun,” he said.

He acknowledged the challenge of funding, adding that he would sit with the Minister of State for FCT and Permanent Secretary, FCTA, to restructure how some of the projects were being funded.

He also said that another strategy he would employ was to attach funds to a specific project and complete the project instead of allocating N500 million every year to a project of over N150 billion.

“It means that in the next 20 years, you cannot complete the project. So, what is the benefit of wasting public funds? He asked.

“Fund is a challenge, yes, but we are here to solve such a challenge.” the minister said.

NAN reports that other officials in the minister’s entourage were the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Shehu Hadi, and other directors and top management officials of the FCTA.  (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

Metro

Building collapse: Wike orders arrest of landlord, victims count losses

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By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike has, ordered the arrest of the owner of the two-storey building that collapsed on Wednesday night at Lagos Street, Garki Village, Abuja.

The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FCT FEMA) said in a statement that two victims have died, while 37 others were evacuated and taken to the hospital.

Wike, who gave the order when he visited the scene of the incident on Thursday, also asked the Permanent Secretary, FCT Administration, Mr Adesola Olusade, to pay the medical bills of those hospitalised.

The minister also urged the Department of Development Control, FCTA, to urgently resettle the residents of the community.

He urged stakeholders to work with government officials for the interest of everyone.

“This is what we are talking about; people just built houses without due diligence to minimum standards.

“This is why cities are planned – forestall this kind of incidents.

“I sympathise with those who lost their lives while the medical bills of those in the hospitals will be paid immediately,” he said.

Earlier, the Director, Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, had explained that the area was unplanned and houses an indigenous community.

Galadima said that the two-storey building was multipurpose and was for both residential and commercial use.

The permanent secretary commended security agencies and some contractors who came out in their numbers to render support in evacuating the rubbles and search for more victims.

Also, the Director-General, FCT FEMA, Dr Idriss Abass, said that relevant agencies had been on ground since the occurrence of the incident, to rescue the victims.

Abass said that efforts were still ongoing “to ensure that no one is left under the rubbles”.

Meanwhile, some of the victims, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that they lost their investments and properties to the incident, and called for government support.

One of them, Ms Glory Perekeme, who operates a restaurant and a bar at the building, said she lost about N5 million as she could not take anything from her restaurant.

“I closed for business around 10:00 p.m. and was on my way home when I received a call that the building had collapsed and my investment gone.

“I am still in shock; and I don’t even know where to start from.

“I really need assistance. Government should come to our aid so we can start all over again,” she said.

Another victim, Mrs Ann Anyi, who owned a laundry and sells shoes, said that she lost everything to the incident.

“I have been crying since I got the news of the incident in the midnight.

“I am just hoping that when the rescue operation is over, I will be able to salvage something from the rubbles,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

Metro

I didn’t purchase N300m bullet proof SUV – Wike

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By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike has refuted claims of purchasing a N300 million Armoured Lexus LX600 SUV on assumption to office.

Wike made the rebuttal shortly after a visit to Metro Train Station, Abuja on Wednesday to inspect ongoing rehabilitation of Abuja Rail Mass Transport System.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some sections of the media had published a picture of an Armored Lexus SUV model LX 600, fitted with ‘FCT – 01’ plate.

The reports claimed that the SUV, which cost more than N300 million, belonged to the new FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

But Wike refuted the claim, describing it as mere “mischief”, stressing that he was sworn in on Monday and had not even sat down to work yet.

He said that all he did was interact with staff and today (Wednesday), went to the Metro Train Station, Abuja with the Minister of State for FCT to see things for themselves.

“We are now going back to the office to interact with each of the departments in the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

“But I have seen what is going on in the social media, how the FCTA Permanent Secretary bought a bullet proof car of N300 million 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,” he said.

He explained that when he resumed, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Adesola Olusade had told him that the FCTA has cars that the ministers would use.

“And the car we use is this (pointing at a regular Lexus SUV).

“I have never approved for any car to be bought and I have not used any official bullet proof car.

“I am not using a bullet proof car as FCT Minister, so we should report the right thing, and not destroy ourselves.

“I want you to take a look at the car I came with, the one with the flag and see whether it is a bullet proof car”, he asked the journalists at the scene.

In a related development, the Director Press, Office of the Minister, Mr Anthony Ogunleye, dismissed claims by some media outfits that Wike plans to demolish 6,000 houses across 30 settlements in Abuja, including Wadata Plaza.

“We would like to categorically state that these stories are entirely false and without any basis,” Ogunleye said.

He explained that the story on the demolition of 6,000 houses was reported by a national daily newspaper on Aug. 22, with the caption “Abuja land: FG may revoke land allocations, demolish 6000 buildings, slums”.

He added that another mainstream newspaper also published what he described as an “irritating story”, with a caption, “Wadata Plaza will go down, Reactions trail Wike’s demolition threat”.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Minister did not in any of his pronouncements list the areas or the number of illegal houses to be removed.

“Rather, his emphasis has always been that illegal settlements and structures would be removed for the greater good of the public.

“Equally vexing” is the headline from a reputable broadcast station saying, “I will fix Abuja in 6 days” and attributed the same to the FCT Minister.

“We wish to state quite clearly that at no time did the Honourable Minister say this or allude to this phrase in any way. This headline, therefore, is borne purely out of mischief,” he said.

The director press pointed out that such sensational reporting not only misleads the public but also undermines the vital role that accurate and well-researched journalism plays in society. (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

Foreign

Chinese expert urges journalists to integrate conventional, new media for effective reach

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By Sarafina Christopher

China has called on journalists to always integrate both conventional and new media in order to enhance their professional practice and effective reach out to audiences.

Mr Luo Chunlei, Assistant to the President, Jilin Radio and TV-Station, gave the advice on Tuesday in Changchun, Jilin Province, China, during a field visit by foreign journalists to the station.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that journalists from Bolivia, South Sudan, Burundi, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Kiribati, Laos, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan are currently undergoing a two-week international media training in China.

Addressing the journalists, Luo said broadcast stations should embrace both conventional and new media practice to succeed in achieving their desired goals and not see the new media as a competitor.

According to him, integrating both conventional and new media in their practice will advance effective audience participation in media programmes.

“With the emergence and advancement of technology, as well as quicken the growth of social media, Jilin Radio and TV have integrated to keep up with trends, while maintaining their audiences.

“We developed applications that allow users to subscribe and get news about what is happening at their own convenience, to ensure consistency and access to every piece of information.

“New media is much more interactive and highly data-driven, which makes it more accessible for the station to keep tabs of subscribers and users and to get feedback through the comments sections, as well as to better improve on news content and range of coverage,” Luo said.

He defined media integration as the process of accepting, integrating, and using new as well as advanced technology in all aspects of news reporting.

Speaking to NAN on the sidelines of the visit, Prof. Li Yu, Director of International Communication Planning Bureau, China Media Group, said the new media had become an important source of information.

He added that the new media had become well accepted within the practice of mainstream media and that news attributes and content had increased significantly also.

“The global mobile phone subscribers are about 5.48 billion, accounting for about 68.3 per cent.

“Global network users are about 5.18 billion, accounting for about 64.6 per cent.

“The global social media user identities, which are 4.8 billion, account for 59.9 per cent, with internet users spending about 6 hours 35 minutes, and TV about 3 hours 12-minutes.

“The traditional Pay TV industry is consistently decreasing with steady growth in online video services, which is why it is of great importance for both the conventional and new media to be integrated because they complement one another with each playing a vital role,” Li said.

He noted that while traditional media subscribers watch television and listen the to radio, online users also use their phones to watch and listen to news, entertainment, tourism, and educational materials, amongst others.

“New Media” refers to the use of computers, the Internet, and smartphones, as opposed to the more conventional forms of traditional media, like the print, film, television, and radio. (NAN)

(Edited by Mark Longyen/Emmanuel Yashim)

Metro

Wike inspects rail transport project in first official outing

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By Philip Yatai

Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Wednesday inspected the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) System rehabilitation project.

Wike told journalists during the visit to the ARMT Metro Station in Abuja that one of his concerns was to address challenges affecting public transportation in the FCT.

According to him, transportation is one of the sectors he intends to transform in a short time to improve movement in the capital city.

“Transportation is one of the sectors we intend to intervene in the short term 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? He asked.

He noted that while there were other lots of the project that were not completed, people would have confidence on the one that was completed and working.

He stressed that it was not a good idea to begin another rail project while the one that was finished remain unusable.

He said that every project that commenced must be finished before embarking on another one, considering the availability of resources.

“I assured 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,” he said.

He told the management of CCECC Nig. Ltd, the construction company handling the rail construction and rehabilitation projects to deliver quality projects.

After a train ride from the Metro Station to 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,” Wike said.

Earlier, the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, said that assessing the problems affecting the rail transport and finding ways to address them would help in putting the system to public use.

According to her, 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 transportation system to the next level.”

The permanent secretary had earlier noted that Wike was known to many as a ‘Mr project’, adding that it was not surprising that his first assignment outside the office was a visit to a project site.

Olusade explained 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.

He added that a major hurdle in the operation process has been addressed, adding that the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company has been assigned to manage the operation.

“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, the Director of Transportation, FCTA, Mr Joseph Akinteye, explained that the ARMT system rehabilitation project consists of Lots 1 A and 3 spans 45.245 kilometres (km).

Akinteye explained 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 that only Lots 1 A and 3, made up of 45.245 km, were completed in 2017 and commissioned in 2018. (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

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