Insecurity: Controversy Trails FCTA’s Approval of Motor Parks in Residential Estates

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Residents of Mabglobal and Queen Estates in Karsana District of Abuja have expressed anger at a letter by the transportation secretariat of of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration that granted approval for the operation of motor parks within the estates.

The residents said 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.

A copy of a 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 Parking at Karsana East by Mabglobal, Queen Estate, FCT Abuja, for a period of five 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 subject strictly to the attached conditions,” it said.

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 against 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 feels 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.