Keke NAPEP restrictions, most difficult decision FCTA must take ― Minister

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has stated that the restriction placed on commercial tricycle operators to certain parts of the city was one of the most difficult decisions that the FCTA had to make.

He said this during the presentation of the FCT’s 2020 statutory budget to the joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the FCT.

Malam Bello said that the decision was imperative because commercial tricycles by law should not operate on the express and highways along with vehicles as they pose dangers to both passengers and riders.

According to him, most roads within the Federal Capital City (FCC) are expressways and thus could not accommodate the presence of the commercial tricycles and motorcycles.

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In a statement issued and signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Anthony Ogunleye, and made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday, the minister said the FCTA was not unmindful of the challenges commuters were facing as a result of the policy and revealed that strategies were being put in place to improve on the public transportation situation in the FCT.

He said the FCTA was working closely with the commercial tricycle association to explore the possibility of upgrading their operations to taxicab operators.

On the 2020 FCT statutory budget, Malam Bello said the FCT was proposing to spend the sum of N232, 875, 365, 947.00.

This sum is made up of N53, 876, 241,095.00 (23.15%)as personnel cost, N57,070,343, 435.00 (24.52%) as overhead costs and a proposed capital expenditure of N121,928,781, 417.00 (52.35%) as capital expenditure.

The proposal also indicated reductions in personnel and overhead costs, with N53,876,241,095.00 proposed in the 2020 budget as against the N55,543,090,041.00 in 2019, for personnel and N57,070,343,435.00 as against N57,610,188,661.00 in 2019, for overhead. These figures represent a 2% and 0.93% decrease respectively.

The sum of N121, 928,781,417.00 was proposed for capital expenditure in the 2020 budget, of which N11, 550,000,000.00 is dedicated to the completion of the light rail project and other counterpart funded related projects aimed at enhancing socio-economic activities in the FCT.

Of the amount also, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), got N40,282,958,388.00, the Satelite Town Development Agency (STDA), got N33,702,830,000.00 while other Secretariats Departments and Agencies (SDAs), got N47,942,993,029.00 for their capital expenditure to address critical areas like ongoing Road construction, water treatment plants and related facilities as well as a few new projects.

On-road infrastructure, the FCTA is proposing to spend the sum of N6,145, 915, 689.00 for the rehabilitation, expansion, extension and construction of 6 major roads which include the Outer Southern Expressway, Inner Southern Expressway amongst others.