President Bola Tinubu has told Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike not to give him free land if he requests one.
Tinubu instead charged Wike with delivering the Abuja metroline for the benefit of the city.
On Sunday, the president opened the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja.
He described Wike as the “landlord of Abuja”.
“I want to ride on your metroline. If I ask for free land, do not give me,” Tinubu said.
“But deliver the metroline for the good of the greatest number of Nigerians.”
Tinubu appointed 45 ministers, including Wike, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike stated during an inspection tour on Wednesday that the Abuja rail mass transit (ARMT) project would be completed in eight months.
The FCT minister rode the train from the metro station to Idu and then to the airport station.
The rail, which was built in six stages, was financed by loans from the China EXIM Bank.
It was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari on July 12, 2018, but was quickly dismantled, owing to vandalism.
Wike frowned at the rail system’s dysfunction and stated that one of his priorities is to address issues affecting public transport in the FCT.
He went on to say that if completed, the train system would significantly reduce traffic congestion in the city.