• Offers two months free train ride to residents
• Warns against abuse of masterplan in Gwarimpa
Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Nyesom Wike, has revealed his plan to build 10,000 houses for the poor in Abuja next year.
To mark President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office, Wike announced two months’ free train ride for FCT residents from Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
The minister, who lamented the high corruption in Abuja land allocation, said: “One of the most difficult problems in this FCT is about land. There is corruption in the land department. It is one area that I, as minister, have been battling with, but I will defeat them.
“Even to make land affordable for people to build houses, which is what we are supposed to do, we encounter one encumbrance or another, due to double allocation by those in the land department and AGIS. They make it difficult for people to acquire land.”
According to him, the President has approved that the next budget will include building of a Renewed Hope City. “This is for affordable houses, not for the big men. We are going to provide infrastructure, build them and allocate them to the poor. We have in our mind to build 10,000 houses for the poor.”
On the free ride on the Abuja light rail, Wike said: “President Tinubu will inaugurate the rail project on Monday, while it will start commercial services on Tuesday. For those saying that the rail system had already been commissioned, don’t make a mistake; what was earlier commissioned was the building. What we want to commission on Monday is commercial operations.
“If you are going to the airport, from here to the airport is 20 minutes. On Tuesday, we are going to allow free rides for two months. The President can even say ‘extend it to six months’ just to reduce the pain of our people. That is Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The minister also threatened to punish violators of the Abuja masterplan in the popular Gwarimpa Estate.
He added, “If you build for residential, but convert to commercial, then you must revert or we bring it down. You cannot be a leader without stepping on toes. What is important is your conscience; are you doing the right it or not?”
