FCTA to clear illegal settlements as train operations begin

The Federal Government has engaged 20 indigenous contractors for the ongoing 80 housing unit at Kwannawa in Dange Shuni local government area of the state.

The Minister of Power, works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said this in Sokoto while inspecting some ongoing projects being executed by the federal government in the state.

Represented by the Director, Highway in charge of the northwest, Engineer Busari Sikiru, he expressed satisfaction with the level and quality of work done so far .

The contract, awarded at the cost of N1.3bn including infrastructure, would be completed in the next few weeks.

He said the second phase of the 500 housing unit would commence in the state soon.

The minister also directed the contractor handling the 133.5km Sokoto-Jega road, awarded in 2013 at the cost of N10.5bn, to complete the project before the raining season.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammad Musa Bello has directed relevant FCT agencies to clear all illegal settlements and structures obstructing the FCT railway corridor.

Malam Bello gave this charge during a test ride of the train service recently.

The minister, who was led by officials of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd, also directed the FCDA to speed up work on the opening of access roads to the 12 railway stations.

The minister said this is to make it possible for passengers access the train services which will start in a few weeks’ time.

At the end of the inspection, the minister expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done and commended the contracts for a good job.

“We hope to open the stations for operations in the next few weeks and we don’t want a situation where the train would be competing for space with illegal structures and settlements,” the minister said.

The Minister also directed the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Malam Shuaibu Umar to commence sensitization meetings with the stakeholders in the various railway corridors around Kukwaba, Dei Dei, Gwagwa, Kuchigoro and others, with a view to giving them enough time to vacate the railways corridors to create access ways.

The 12 completed stations are the Metro, Stadium, Wupa, Kukwaba 1 and 2, Gwagwa and Dei-Dei train stations. Others are the Idu, Bassanjiwa, Airport, Kagini, Bazango stations.