The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has lamented the state of works at the Abuja Rail Mass Transit Scheme, also known as the Abuja Light Rail Project.
Along with senior FCTA officials, Wike took a station tour on Thursday. They stopped at the Kukwaba II Train station, the Abuja Metro Station in the Central Business District, and the station’s still-under-construction access road.
The Minister said that he visited such locations to observe the speed and caliber of work being done on the light rail project before the May 2024 commissioning event.
But the minister seemed unsatisfied with what he saw and voiced his displeasure with the noticeable security breaches at the Abuja Metro Station.
“From what I have seen, the designs are inferior. Whoever may have approved the designs is unfair to Nigerians.
“I’ve told CCECC that this kind of design is not even acceptable in their own country and if I had known before now, I would not have promised Mr. President that it would be ready.
“It will be very disastrous for me”, the Minister said, adding that excuses would not be accepted.
“But frankly speaking, knowing where I’m coming from, having presided over projects like this, I’m not in a happy mood at all.
“You can imagine if I am sitting in the office and then depending on the reports from those who said they are in the field, by the time I come here in May, I will be messed up. But I thank God that I came to see things for myself,” he stated.