FCT, Nasarawa gov’t ups partnership for accelerated infrastructural development

By Stanley Onyekwere

There is strong indication that plans are underway for more collaborations between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Nasarawa State Government for rapid and inclusive development across communities in both domains.
This was disclosed when the Nasarawa state governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule led a delegation from his state on a courtesy and technical visit to the FCT Administration.
While the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello stressed the need for a joint development commission to harmonize plans the Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule called for improved collaborative effort for the overall development of Nasarawa and the FCT.
According to the FCT Minister, He said if necessary, such plans should include joint funding of projects in areas of security, rail transport, road linkages and expansion to make for free flow of traffic and consequently, more investments opportunities for both parties.
He called on the Nasarawa State Government to partner with the FCT Administration in the on-going move to decongest traffic along the Abuja/Keffi road, explaining that the task team mandated to carry out the exercise needed the support of the Nasarawa State Government to extend the work to the state.
The Minister stressed the need to end illegal car parks and roadside trading, as it would bring down travel time between the FCT and Nasarawa state, increase productivity in workers traversing both areas to get to work as well as bring about economic development.
Earlier, the Nasarawa state governor who had described boosting partnership between his state and FCTA as a necessity, said it will be beneficial to both areas and the peoples.
He solicited collaboration with the FCT for a mega terminal to house all the 22 motor parks in his state, which would ease off the traffic gridlock along the Abuja/Keffi road, bring down crime rate and reduce man hour wasted on the road.
The governor lamented that amenities are over stretched in his state as a result of the increasing number of FCT workers who reside in Nasarawa state.
He therefore urged the FCT Minister to Partner with the state for the construction of the Apo/Uke road as well as other link roads between the state and the FCT as part of efforts to ease gridlock on the express way.