The Collapse Of The Kugbo Bus Terminal And The Wike-Is-Working Slogan -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

In the last two years since the advent of Tinubu regime, the slogan among the loyalist of the Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister is: Wike is working. Everywhere – in beer parlors, market places and sundry other places – they sing it. And many ignorant FCT residents have joined in spinning the story around without knowing or investigating the said works or projects. For this reason, I am not in any way surprised that one of the projects of the self-styled Mr. Project has collapsed like a deck of cards. However, I am not happy about that because that is a waste of tax-payers’ money.

According to media report, on Tuesday, April 7, a windstorm, accompanied by rainfall, damaged the multi-billion Naira bus terminal at Kugbo in FCT, a project of the Federal Capital Territory Development Agency under Nyesom Wike’s Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory, commissioned in June 2025, spilling debris and aluminum roofing sheets onto the busy Nyanya–Keffi Expressway that kept motorists along the route stranded for hours in a traffic gridlock.

Mr. Wike have not yet given tangible reason for the collapse of the building. But, speaking through Lere Olayinka, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media in what looked like a face-saving statement, he said that the windstorm affected parts of the Kugbo Bus Terminal and also caused minor damage to the Nyanya pedestrian bridge and nearby buildings.

Expectedly, the public reactions to this unfortunate incident is sharp with many calling for the arrest of the FCT Minister. Many are eagerly waiting for what Wike would do to himself and the contractor to this project especially against the backdrop of the orders he issued earlier that day for the arrest of the fellow whose uncompleted building collapsed in Jikwoyi, one of Abuja suburbs, on Friday 3rd of April.

The video footage shows that the multi-billion Naira building was a total wreck as if it was struck by a nuclear arsenal calling to question the quality of work done by Wike and his team of contractors. This kind of damage can only come if the projected was executed with substandard material or if it was executed by unqualified engineers. There are many buildings within the neighborhood of the bus station. There is the Kugbo International Market but none was affected by the windstorm. How come it was the Wike’s multi-billion edifice that was affected?

This brings the question of who the contractor that executed the project is. Who supervised the project? Who is the consultant to these projects? Are these entities qualified for the roles they played in the project design and execution? Was due process followed in the award of the contract?

Earlier in the year, there was a viral video circulated by Premium Times showing leaks in the roof of the recently completed terminal. This raised concerns about the structure and quality of the building. Again, the attempt by security officers and officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to harass journalists for documenting and taking images of the scene confirms that something was amiss. There were seen trying to confiscate equipment including drones and cameras from news men. This no doubt indicates that they were trying to conceal information from the public thereby raising concerns about the execution and quality of construction and whether the facility met required standards as other uncompleted buildings nearby were untouched by the rainstorm.

Moreover, this unfortunate incident raises questions about consistency in enforcement and transparency and accountability in government projects and also raised concerns about the safety of the other two bus terminals in Mabushi and the Federal Secretariat awaiting commissioning by the Minister.

Experts believe the damage to the building terminal was not just about weather but may be due to poor construction materials, design flaws, or installation issues. In a project of this magnitude, the authorities must implement strict safety and quality control measures. Independent structural audits should be conducted by certified engineers to verify the structural integrity of newly constructed terminals, particularly the roof structures. Material testing and verification are also critical to ensure that steelwork and roofing meet approved quality standards and are not substandard.

Indeed, this is a serious scandal and a breach of public safety. Imagine what the casualty rate would have been if there commuters inside the building during the windstorm. It is evident that the job done was shoddy from the onset. The work should be probed and re-evaluated and the execution reappraised. A lot of questions need to be answered concerning this job. One critical question that must be answered is:  does it mean there was no environmental impact assessment in a job of this magnitude?  In a sane country where things are done in the normal way, this is more than enough to force Wike to resign. In countries that has transparency and accountability in governance the sum of N51 billion spent the 3 bus terminals can build an airport. But that is what has been used to build just three bus stations, one of which has collapsed barely eight months after commissioning. This is failure of governance on display. The executives is riddled with corruption and the National Assembly has failed woefully in its oversight duty. Nigeria should you allow corruption, mediocrity and ineptitude to continue? The choice is yours to make.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed 

hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com

An actress, social activist, politician

London, UK