nation0428

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015
Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com
Page 33
•The lights
BEFORE now, traffic lights
were quite uncommon in
Abuja. Those that existed
were malfunctioning. This informed
the posting of traffic wardens
to some strategic intersections
in the city to control traffic.
That was then. Currently, most
of the moribund traffic lights
have been resuscitated as residents
woke up recently to notice
that the traffic lights were blinking
again.
Changes residents never
thought possible have become
reality as politicians and their
contractor friends ensure that
most of the dilapidated infrastructure
in the capital city are
revived, at least to prove to the
incoming administration that
they are capable of making
things happen.
Though Abuja boasts most
modern facilities that other states
lack, the city has always had an
ugly record of maintenance culture
and most contractors take
this trend for granted, even as
they manipulate the system and
On come the lights
From Grace Obike
abandon projects which contracts
they have been awarded.
The most visible aspect of the low
maintenance culture had been in
the area of traffic lights. There is
prevalence of broken down traffic
lights as one drives through the
city. Some of them give confusing
or conflicting go ahead sign to
motorists so much so that they
could cause accidents. Some of them
come on when they are not supposed
to or go off when a particular
lane should have right of way.
Residents and motorists have
been complaining about this situation
for so long and the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) transport
secretariat always claimed that
something was being done about
it. Recently, there is a wind of
‘The administration recently changed
from using the public power supply to
powering the traffic light with solar
panels. ýWhat is actually happening
now is that all the traffic lights in Abuja
are being changed to solar panels and
we intend to finish soon. The
development is a partnership with the
Chinese and we have been working on it
for a long time. It’s possible that residents
are only noticing it now. If you look
closely at places where you see traffic
lights now, you will also see solar
panels mounted on top of it’
NATIVES of Kpaduma
communities in Abuja
Municipal Area Council
(AMAC) of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) have called on the
incoming administration of Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari to end the
incessant demolition of communities
in the territory.
Speaking on behalf of the natives
at a news conference on Kpaduma
communities’ court case against
the Senator Bala Mohammed-led
administration, Secretary to
Kpaduma communities, Simon
Baba-Yerima said with the incoming
administration, there is hope
for the natives against
marginalisation and threat of
lives by the present administration.
change with regard to the functioning
of the traffic lights in the FCT.
ýCurrently, there is no need posting
traffic wardens to man all the
intersections of Abuja because all
the dilapidated traffic lights have
been fixed and new traffic lights
have been installed in locations
where residents never believed was
possible. The traffic situation had
always been a nightmare in front
of the Wuse Zone 3 Market. Here,
people driving towards the market
from around the bridge always
struggle their way through, especially
when the traffic wardens
where not around. However, one
morning, residents woke up to behold
a new traffic light installed on
the road which has drastically reduced
the traffic situation.
Mr. Jonah Festus plies the route
daily. He expressed surprise at the
sudden development.
He said: “ýI learnt that the contractor
that was supposed to install
the lights had been paid a long time
ago. He did not install them. Now
that Buhari is about to be inaugurated,
he has decided to do it out of
According to Baba-Yerima, a situation
where ancestral homes of the
natives are demolished and they are
driven out to look for where to reside,
their farmlands are taken from
them without adequate compensation,
is inhumane to the natives of
the FCT and should be discontinued
in order for peace to reign in the territory.
“So, we pray that the incoming administration
of Gen. Buhari will put
a stop to the menace and inhumane
treatment that is meted on the natives
of the FCT by the present administration.
We have suffered a lot
in the hands of this government.
“We believe that as a leader who
fear for what might happen to
him.
“This is a good development.
The Abuja traffic light system
used to be terrible, but now with
all this changes, driving around
Abuja is turning into fun.”
Another resident Chidi Agu expressed
delight at the development
in the city. He said: “It is
really nice driving around town
these days and noticing that the
•Continued on page 34
Indigenes appeal to Buhari
to end demolition
From Gbenga Omokhunu
has the passion for the masses and
not only for the high class in the society,
he will listen to our cries and
bring soccour to the FCT natives. We
are also asking that as when the new
administration comes on board, we
should be carried along in order for
things pertaining to the FCT to go
smoothly for the benefit of everybody.
“We are also pleading that the new
minister of the FCT should be a native
of the FCT. He should be chosen
from any of the nine ethnic groups
in Abuja, so that our rights will be
protected. If we have a minister from
the FCT, he will understand our
problems and fashion out proper
means to solve them without threat
to the lives of anybody in the territory,”
he said.