Abuja — Minister of the Federal capital Territory, Senator Muhammed Adamu Aliero has restated the preparedness of the administration to do everything necessary to ensure that the $ 840 million Abuja Light Rail Project is completed on schedule.

Aliero stated this at the weekend when he visited the project site to assess the level of work done so far by the contractors, as well as to see ways the administration could further assist to ensure the successful and timely completion of the project.

According to him, "we are here to see the progress of work on the Abuja light rail. We have seen the presentation but I will prefer we see things on the ground because it won't tell us much if we just see the presentation. We want to know what has been done, we want to know where we are as at now and where we should be before the end of this year because, this is one project that is very dear to the federal government, and we want to make sure that we deliver it. Already we have 2013 as the date of completion and handing over and we want that date to be sacrosanct, we don't want anything that will delay that date".

Aliero reassured the contractors that the administration would continue to do everything possible as far as funding is concerned, saying, "We have done our very best as far as the budgetary provision is concerned, and we have already started making preparations for adequate funding towards 2010. The ministry of finance has already given this project the priority attention it deserves. Common services will be shared by both the FCT light rail and the national rail e.g. Idu station and this will significantly reduce cost".

Responding, the Executive Director of the firm handling the Contract, Mr. Jack Lee said, "You have already guaranteed us about the funding support and we are glad because it is one of our major challenges and because of this we could not do anything in 2008; it's only this year that we fully started and the engineers are witnesses. We are ready to start laying the tracks next year. We will start production of sleepers by November but that is on schedule.

The Minister after an inspection of all the various units at the site expressed satisfaction at the level of work done.We are impressed and I have no doubt in my mind that they will be able to deliver if they maintain the pace they have started with. About 17 billion has been paid to the contractor so far and definitely, I can assure you that the project will be sustained. The issue of training and maintenance that is transfer of technology is being addressed in the contract agreement and I can assure you that Nigerians will be properly trained to take over from the Chinese after the completion of the project.

Barr. Segun Awolowo, Secretariate FCT Transport Secretary also disclosed that adequate arrangements have been made to pay compensation to all the people affected, and that already, the secretariat in collaboration with the Department of Resettlement and Compensation had paid about N400 million as compensation to those affected.