The Abuja Light Rail Project which was conceived in 2014, was supposed to be completed under one year. Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed had promised several times to commission the project but had failed to deliver on his promises. However, the current Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello insists that the project will be commissioned next month. In this report, JOSEPHINE ELLA-EJEH traces the history and scope of the project and its numerous delays.
For so long, residents of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) have been longing for the completion and commissioning of the N299 billion Abuja Rail Mass Transit project, which is expected to convey residents from the satellite towns to the city.
As things are, the residents may have to wait for a little longer because even if it is eventually completed by December as targeted, the rail transport would only be commercialised in March 2019, according to the Permanent Secretary of FCT, Mr Christian Ohaa.
Residents are eager for the project to come on stream because of the ease and cost-effectiveness that the metro rail promises. In addition, it will create jobs and reduce the notorious traffic gridlock in some part of the territory.
The rail transit project, which costs N299 billion ($823 million), consists of Lot 1A and Lot 3, covering a length of 45km with 12 designated passenger stations. It will link the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to the Central Business District. The rail project is also a double-tracked line of right side running, and standard-gauge 1435mm.
The entire project which comprises 6 Lots and covering a distance of approximately 285km, had the feasibility and conceptual design of Lot 1, 2, 3 done in May 2006. Lots 1 and 3 are presently under construction with initial completion duration of 2014, but it was later shifted by the last administration to 2015.
Severally, the completion date has been extended and many residents have come to believe that Abuja Rail Mass Transit project has been abandoned, despite the huge sums of money that has been sunk into it.
However, Blueprint Weekend’s investigations reveal that vandals who destroy the rail tracks have been one of the major cogs in the wheel of the project’s progress.
In order to arrest the situation, the Transport Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is not resting on its oars. The Head of its Information Unit, Mr Ifeanyi Ughamadu, told our correspondent that what the vandals carted away could easily be replaced and arrangements had been made for adequate security to be mounted along the area to prevent further vandalization.
Last August, the Project Manager, Mr Kong Tao had decried the spate of vandalism to journalists during a tour of the facility. He had lamented that the perimeter fencing built to prevent trespassing, had not stopped some residents of the host communities who crossed the rail track at will.
Apart from endangering lives as operational trains moved constantly on the rail track, he said incidence of theft of the company’s equipment, including facilities installed at the passenger stations has become very rampant. “Safety is the most important thing in our operation. Even though we built a fence to prevent trespass, they break it to cross the rail track.
Despite hundreds of security personnel employed to secure the facilities, thieves still steal something here almost every week,” he had complained.
Significantly, the Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project started about three years ago. In 2014, the federal government had signed an agreement for a 600 million US Dollar facility with China Exim Bank for two high impact projects expected to be completed in 2015. The Abuja Light Rail was one of them and at that time, it was estimated to cost 500 million dollars. On the other hand, the Galaxy Backbone ICT infrastructure was to be financed with 100 million dollars.
Despite this huge sum which the bank made available to the Nigerian government, the project has still not been completed and delivered as expected in 2015.
Instead, when the present FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello assumed office, he announced a new date of 2017 for completion of the project. The minister made the promise when his colleague, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu paid him a working visit. Similarly, the FCT Minister reiterated the promised completion date during the inauguration of the Abuja–Kaduna modernisation rail project at Idu in Abuja, in July 2016.
“It is my pleasure to mention that the Abuja Light Rail project, which has been conceived in six lots, and currently under phase one, is 77 per cent completed and we hope to be here in December 2017 to launch the entire project.’’
Last month October, FCTA again reiterated its commitment to the December completion date. The Permanent Secretary, Mr Ohaa reaffirmed this during a site visit to the Project. “Let me re-iterate that the December completion target for Abuja Rail Project remains sacrosanct.
From the level of work I have seen on ground, this December completion period is achievable,” he had assured. Ohaa, who expressed satisfaction with the pace of the work done so far, further disclosed that the project has attended 98 percent completion stage.
According to him, ‘’I am very much impressed with the way the project has been going. So far, the project has hit 98 percent completion rate. This to me, is very encouraging and impressive. As we all know, this project will address immensely our nagging transportation issues in and out of the city.’’
However, in spite of the December completion date, Ohaa clarified that the project would only be ready for full commercialization in March 2018. He affirmed that the Administration is working assiduously to address any issue that may be a stumbling block to the project.
In addition, the Project Manager, Mr Tao assured journalists that work on the large scale project is going on smoothly and would be test-run by this month. Subsequently, it will be commissioned for public use in December 2017.
However, because the past FCT administration has had a track record of promising at different consecutive times to commission the rail transport and failing to do so, there are doubts as to whether the present FCT Minister will keep to his words.
It would be recalled that the Senator Bala Mohammed-led FCT administration had announced different dates for completion of the project which were never actualised.
While many doubt the latest completion and delivery date of the rail project, waving it aside as another cheap propaganda, it is left for the present FCT administration to keep to the promise and earn the confidence of the residents, rather than toeing the path of its predecessor.
