Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Residents of Mabglobal and Queen Estates in Karsana District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)c have expressed anger at a letter by the Transportation Secretariat of FCT Administration that granted approval for the operation of motor parks within the estates.
The residents felt that the approval by the former Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, Abdullahi Candido, to a private firm, Fasaba and Sons Limited, could worsen the atmosphere of insecurity brewing in the territory and by extension give leeway for criminals to operate in their estates.
They also said the approval granted the private firm would portray the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as insensitive to the precarious security situation in the area.
There were concerns that Wike might have approved the memo by Candido that granted the approval to the operator of motor park in letter dated May 15, 2023 four days to the exit of the Buhari Administration.
A copy of the letter by Candido to the Managing Director, Fasaha & Sons Global Services Nig. Ltd on the award, titled:” Engagement for the Management of Temporary off Street Parking at Karsana East by Mabglobal Queen Estate, FCT, Estate” was sighted by our correspondent last night.
It read: “I am pleased to inform you that approval has been given to your Company for its engagement as Manager of Temporary Off-street as Manager of Temporary Off-Street Parking at Karsana East by Mabglobal, Queen Estate, FCT Abuja, for a period of Five (5) years”.
“Your engagement as a Manager for the period stated above is subject to renewal at the discretion of the Secretary, Transportation Secretariat.
“The structures to be erected at the Park shall be as approved by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
“This Engagement is Subjected strictly to the attached conditions.”
However, some of the residents have outright rejected the concession, describing it as a double standard that would aggravate the security situation in the area.
They urged Wike to invalidate the entire arrangement and save the residents the agony of dealing with crimes that would be the fallout of the motor parks to be cited in the residential estates.
They also vowed to take up the matter with Wike as granting such an approval would undermine his own efforts againt insecurity.
But in his reaction yesterday, the spokesperson of the Transportation Secretariat, Ifeanyi Ughamadu, said that the various taxi ranks within the territory were outsourced by FCTA.
He urged residents of the two estates to approach the Secretariat if they had any grievances with the management or the operation of the said taxi ranks.
“If there is any issue, if the estate leadership feel strongly and they do not like the operator or they don’t want their areas to be given out, then they should come to the office. They can put up a letter to the Secretary and explain themselves. We have taxi ranks everywhere, to manage traffic in various corners.
“We have various taxi ranks, temporal taxi ranks, so if there is any conflict of any issue by the estate, they should come to the office. You are saying it as if there is any crisis, there is none,” Ughamadu said.
