Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has announced that the Abuja rail system will be operational in the last quarter of 2017.
The Minister who made this disclosure while receiving the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachichwu who paid him a working visit in his office at Area 11, Garki I District, Abuja, added that the last quarter of 2017 is the new target date envisaged by the FCT Administration.
The Minister said that when the Abuja rail comes on stream, it would revolutionize the transportation system, as the use of personal vehicles would become unattractive.
Muhammad Bello said that the rail transportation would also go a long way to create employment for some residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
He however called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to build (NNPC) Mega Filling Stations in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory instead of only one earmarked for each Senatorial districts in the 36 states of the federation, adding that a large population of the territory reside in the area councils and satellite towns.
“Citing mega filling stations in the area councils will definitely reduce pressure on the stations in the Federal Capital City.”
He promised that he would provide good locations in the headquarters of the six Area Councils for the filling stations.
According to him, the FCT Administration is prepared to go into partnership with NNPC by giving befitting and strategic plots of land for the stations, which would give the Administration equity share in the business.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State and Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, said the Corporation was planning to construct additional Mega Filling Stations in all the Senatorial Districts of the country in partnership with the states of the federation which is three per state.
Dr. Kachikwu further revealed that 15 state governors had already indicated interest by providing plots of land for the programme and therefore called on the FCT Minister to key into the scheme by making available its plot of land for the purpose. [myad]
