Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says that the FCT Administration will take a firm decision on open grazing inside the Abuja city centre after consultation with herdsmen.
The Minister made this known while speaking with journalists during inspection of some road projects across the Federal capital territory on Saturday
In his words: “Before we take any decision, we will do proper consultation so that nobody will say you never alerted them, you never interacted with them before you took that decision.
We are going to call the cattle people to sit with them. We cannot allow things to go on like this. We didn’t say that there will be no cattle in Abuja, but within the city,” he said.
According to him cows would be allowed to graze in the suburbs but not in the city centre.
On the ban of commercial motorcycles from operating within the city centre, the minister said a firmer decision would be taken after the federal government provides buses as alternatives.
“We did not take a firm decision because we have not been able to provide the buses that will be the alternative for the people.
It is within the government’s responsibility to provide the alternative and then ask the motorcycle operators to leave the city centre.
This is so that you don’t ask them to leave, and people will be suffering; no,” he said.
Some of the projects visited are the completion of Roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in Central Area and the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, being handled by Julius Berger.
The minister also inspected the construction of the southern Parkway from Christian Centre (S8/9) to Ring Road 1, being handled by Setraco and the expansion of the outer Southern Expressway being handled by CGC.
The project spanned from Villa Roundabout to OSEX/Ring Road 1 Junction, including four interchanges.
(NAN)
