Metro Rail: Abuja residents to enjoy two-month free ride

By Stanley Onyekwere

FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has declared a two-month free ride on Abuja Light Rail otherwise known as Abuja Metro Line due for commissioning next week.
This offer is coming just four days to the commissioning of the rehabilitated rail project for commercial operations from city centre to Abuja Airport.
Wike dropped the free train ride hint yesterday, when he joined six other federal ministers during the inaugural Ministerial sectoral update for the present administration, in Abuja.
He said: “From Tuesday, 28th of this month, everybody can go and take a ride for themselves. We are going to allow for rides for two months and you know Mr. President can even say it should be extended to six months just to reduce the pains of the people. This is the Renewed Hope Agenda; when you say something, you do it.
“So many have said that it was commissioned before. We are not talking about commissiong of building, we are talking about commissioning the commercial operations. There was no access roads to all the stations, how do you use it?.
“The unavailability of those access roads hindered the operation of the metro line.
“ Remember in September last year, the President said he wants to ride on the metro line and to the Glory of God, on Monday 27th of this month, Mr. President will ride on that metro line. Now, all the access roads have been done with their car parks.
“By this time next year, you can tell any city in the world, we can compete with you in terms of road network.”
On providing affordable housing, Wike revealed that in FCT next budget, the administration wants to build Renewed Hope City, which will avail access to 10,000 affordable houses for the poor in the society.
“We are going about 10,000 houses and I know that Mr. President will approve that we allocate it to people who cannot afford to build. We are going to provide infrastructure and then build for them”, he stressed.