'We’ll sit with herdsmen to explain why cows cannot graze inside Abuja' - Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has said he will explain to herdsmen why they should not graze their cattle in Abuja. According to him, FCT Administration will take a firm decision on open grazing inside the Abuja city centre after consultation with herdsmen.

“Before we take any decision, we will do proper consultation so that nobody will say you never alerted them, you never interacted with them before you took that decision. We are going to call the cattle people to sit with them. We cannot allow things to go on like this. We didn’t say that there will be no cattle in Abuja, but within the city,” he said.

Mr Wike stated this while fielding questions from journalists after inspecting some road projects in Abuja on Saturday. He said that cows would be allowed to graze in the suburbs but not in the city centre. On the ban of commercial motorcycles from operating within the city centre, the minister said a firmer decision would be taken after the federal provided buses as alternatives.

“We did not take a firm decision because we have not been able to provide the buses that will be the alternative for the people. It is within the government’s responsibility to provide the alternative and then ask the motorcycle operators to leave the city centre. This is so that you don’t ask them to leave, and people will be suffering; no,” he said.

Some of the projects visited are the completion of Roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in Central Area and the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, being handled by Julius Berger. The minister also inspected the construction of the southern Parkway from Christian Centre (S8/9) to Ring Road 1, being handled by Setraco and the expansion of the outer Southern Expressway being handled by CGC. The project spanned from Villa Roundabout to OSEX/Ring Road 1 Junction, including four interchanges. Mr Wike equally inspected the full scope development of Arterial Road N20, from Northern Parkway to ONEX with spurs being handled by Gilmor Engineering.