Minister suspends ban on mini-buses in FCT

IN what looked like a policy summersault, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has suspended the ban on the use of mini-buses within the Federal Capital City for three weeks.The FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed gave the directive in Abuja late Wednesday after an emergency meeting with the stakeholders, including officials of the Mini-Buses Union, FCT chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as the Police Commissioner and the Director, Department of State Security, in his office.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Muhammad Sule, the minister also directed the setting up of a committee to be chaired by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Anthony Ozodinobi, to fine-tune its implementation.

All the stakeholders were represented on the implementation committee.

But the minister, in the statement, insisted there would be no going back on the policy as, according to him, “it is for the good of all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory.”

He announced that other transportation-related policies that border on car mart, car wash and illegal motor parks scattered in and around the FCT will also be enforced.

Meanwhile, indication has emerged that the FCTA is set to develop the tourism potential abounding in the nation’s capital city.

This came to fore yesterday during a meeting between the Minister of State for the FCT and the executive members of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) where the preliminary report on Abuja Tourism Masterplan was presented by the Director-General of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr. Munzali Dantata.

Akinjide, who noted that tourism is vital to the economic growth of the FCT, said the Administration would optimize the territory’s huge potential for conference tourism, sports tourism, education tourism, medical tourism and cultural tourism.

She outlined several initiatives by the Administration to develop the tourism potential of the FCT, including the Nigerian Art Master Mosaic as well as establishment of Sculpture Park, Music Festival Park and Horticulture Park.

“The Minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed, has approved three Parks for the Social Development Secretariat (SDS) namely, Sculpture Park, Festival Park and Horticulture Park. The Administration will partner with the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria towards achieving the full tourism potentials of the territory,” Akinjide said.