•FCTA to profile uber drivers, ban unpainted taxis
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has reiterated the government’s commitment to the security of the Federal Capital Territory by according full support to the security agencies in the fight against bandits and kidnappers.
Wike gave the assurance yesterday at a Town Hall meeting on insecurity at the Kwali Area Council, where he and the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud met with traditional rulers, the heads of security agencies, the Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya, and other stakeholders.
The minister, who assured Kwali residents that the FCTA would procure vehicles for security agencies as well as give every area council motorcycles to use in support of local vigilance groups to help provide security agencies with the necessary information, however, accused the chairman of running away from problems.
To that extent, Wike has disclosed that Uber drivers would be certified and profiled by security agencies and government to know the drivers’ identity before they would be allowed to operate in the nation’s capital.
“The president has commanded me to let you know that he feels your pains and that is why he has said that I must see all the area councils and talk to them about our preparedness to face insecurity to a logical conclusion.
“You see us going with all the heads of security agencies. That is to tell you how serious we are. Indeed, it would not have been like this yesterday, but I can assure you that henceforth, you will be hearing a different story and that story will be a positive one.
“We are fully prepared to support our security agencies. Whatever will make them to succeed, whatever will make our people to sleep with their two eyes closed, we are going to give to them. Ours is to provide the necessary logistics
“For me, whatever will bring development, government has no hesitation. Whatever will improve security, we have no hesitation,” Wike declared.
The minister informed the local youth that the administration had directed the area council chairmen to ensure that the vigilantes were well catered for, adding that they should provide information to the security agencies so that they could do diligent job.
Wike, who accused Chiya of blackmail and dereliction in response to some of the complaints echoed by the Kwali Area Council Chairman earlier in his remarks, called on him to be prepared to solve problems as a leader, saying leadership is not by mouth.
The minister said: “You are trying to blackmail me but unfortunately, nobody can blackmail me. If you like fall here and cry. When you told them to vote you as Council Chairman, did you think leadership is by mouth.
“As a leader you must carry problems. You knew there were problems and you said you want to solve it. You should also know that pressure will not end, it will continue to come, don’t run away from it. You weren’t elected to be smiling everyday, you were elected to solve the problems of the people.”
Chiya had tabled several encumbrances facing the council and asked for the establishment of a police division in Gwako as well as a military base in another part of the council.
He said the roads were not passable and the criminals, who were hibernating around the hills surrounding Kwali, were taking advantage to kidnap people.
“We will write to your office because there is another road that has been abandoned by the contractors. Wherever they discover that the roads are not good, they use such spots as hideouts.
“Our people are prepared to chase them, but for the bad roads. Then our stadium in Kwali, the bad boys have turned it into a hideout. There is little we could do on the stadium because it is an FCDA project.
“We also need motorcycles for the vigilance teams. I have given them some before but we need more and therefore I seek your intervention in this regard,” Chiya said.
But Wike in response, said the council chairman had “requested for everything.”
He asked him to, in conjunction with the traditional rulers, choose two road projects which the Kwali Area Council would finance while the FCTA would take over the FCDA road that was awarded but abandoned.
Meanwhile, during a chat with the media on the measures to improve security in the city, Wike has said t Uber drivers would be certified and profiled by security agencies and government before they would be allowed to operate in the nation’s capital.
“This is is a city, if you don’t have rules, there will be problems. They would have to be registered. It tells you who the drivers are. We need to certify them. We need to profile them using the security agencies,” Wike said, adding the FCTA was also planning to ban unpainted taxis and buses from plying FCT roads.
He said the measures were responses to curb the menace of ‘one chance’ which criminals had perfected to rob unsuspecting passengers in the nation’s capital.
“We are not going to allow vehicles that are not painted with FCT colour and registered by the FCTA to ply commercial in the territory. That way, you know the driver is certified by the FCT and the buses and the taxes were also approved by the FCT.
“When this is done, you as the passenger will not take the risk of going to enter any vehicle that you don’t even know,” Wike said.
He also added that the administration in the 2024 fiscal year intended to build at least three terminals, where residents could go and board a bus to a specific destination.
“That way, you know the drivers and the vehicle that you are entering. But currently, everybody is just on the road. You are going to Nyanya, a car is on the road, you enter; you are going to Wuye, a car is on the road you enter.
“What we are trying to do in the 2024 fiscal year is to at least build three terminals for a start, so that we will know the buses and taxes that will carry people from such terminals.
“When this is done, nobody will take the risk of going on the road to wait for a taxi. That way, you will be able to reduce crime,” Wike said.
