Want a pedestrian bridge along Nnamdi Azikiwe by-pass – The House of Representatives has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately reactivate the Abuja light rail project for which over $213.8million was spent to ease transport congestion in the nation’s capital.
Also, the lawmakers moved to invite the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Bala Mohammed, and China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) to explain why the project which was launched in May 2007 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo had been abandoned and to proffer the way forward.
Raising the issue via a motion yesterday, Hon. Joseph Kigbu, lamented that the government was not seeking alternative means to reducing the rising traffic congestion in Abuja, aside constructing and expanding city roads, which cannot solve the problem.
The lawmaker expressed worry that if the light rail project was abandoned, traffic congestion on Abuja roads might threat to general security and unnecessary loss of man-hours by workers and other commuters. The House also implored the president to expand the project to cover Nasarawa, Niger and Kaduna States when reactivated. The motion was referred to the committee on FCT for further legislative action.
Similarly, the legislators also lamented the loss of lives and fatal injuries caused by high vehicular movement at Nnamdi Azikiwe by-pass in Abuja and asked the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, to construct a pedestrian bridge across the road to check the high rate of auto crashes on the track.
The representatives also asked the government to ensure speedy reconstruction of the road leading to the Gurara Dam and prompt maintenance of the facilities of the FCT Water Board to address shortage of water supply in the city.
These were contained in two seperate motions passed by Hon? Yusuf Ayo Tajudeen and Hon Jagaba Adams Jagaba respectively.
Hon Tajudeen expressed concern that statistics from the Federal Road Safety Commission indicate that they are traffic accidents recorded on the Nnamdi Azikiwe by-pass on a daily basis.
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