Abuja’s new bus terminals will help reduce ‘one chance’, says Wike

ABUJA: Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has again insisted that the two new bus terminals slated for commissioning by President Bola Tinubu as part of his second anniversary, would help reduce incidences of taxi robberies and abductions popularly called “one chance”.

Wike disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja shortly after inspecting the two terminals – one in Kugbo, near Nyanya and another in Mabushi – as well as several ongoing road projects.

According to him, the operation of the terminals would also help reduce the preponderance of unregistered and rickety taxis and buses in the city

He said; “What it means is that you don’t need to stay on the road, you have to go to the bus terminal and there, we know the drivers, we know the vehicles you have boarded. That, of course, will limit this ‘one chance’. So, that is the sense of building these terminals, and also to clean up the city so you don’t have buses all over the road becoming motor parks. That is what we are doing”.

Wike also expressed satisfaction with the quality of job done at the terminals, saying there has been great improvement since he last visited.

On the sustained funding of all ongoing projects, the minister said his administration does not award contracts based on sentiments but the availability of funds.

“It is a matter of prudent spending and then trying to prioritize what we intend to do. That is why we have always said that we just don’t go and award contracts for the sake of awarding contracts.

“We award contracts based on the resources we have, with the little taxes we are collecting, and the support Mr President has given, we are able to prioritize our spending.

“We have inspected several projects today but the road that is going to the Court of Appeal at Daki Biyu is the one that we are hoping will be part of the commissioning during the president’s second anniversary.

We are happy that we have provided this kind of infrastructure. Of course, you will agree with me that the bus terminal is a basic thing for us to change our transport system and I commend the contractors for a job well done.

We are quite impressed with what we have seen and we have assured the residents of Abuja that under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, we are going to give them first class infrastructure that they deserve”, he added.

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