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The usually busy streets and major roads in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) looked like a ghost town yesterday as most residents complied with the federal government’s directive to staff of public institutions and schools, except those on essential service, to stay at home in order to ensure a hitch-free World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA). Even though the directive was not legally binding on private institutions, except those with large staff that were advised to comply with the directive, most businesses and offices remained closed.
THISDAY observed that some of the busiest roads including Abuja-Keffi (Maraba-Nyanya) Expressway, Air Port Road, Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway, and Herbert Macauley Way, among others, witnessed light vehicular movements.
There were also heavy security presence at strategic locations within the FCT, and at entry points of major roads leading into the Federal Capital City (FCC), Abuja including Outer Southern Expressway leading to Gwarimpa, Bwari, Kubwa, and Zuba; the Umaru Yar'Adua Expressway (Airport Road) leading to Lugebe, Kuje, Airport, and Gwagwalada; and as well as the dreaded Abuja-Keffi Expressway leading to AYA, Mogadishu Cantonment, Kugbo, and Nyanya-Mararaba axis.
More glaringly and as was disclosed earlier by security details, the road leading into the Federal Secretariat through the Eagle Square, International Conference Centre (ICC), Sheraton, Transcorp Hilton, Benue Plaza, THISDAY Dome, as well as the Transcorp Hilton (WEFA Venue) were all cordoned off.
Also, there were heavily armed and stern looking security men stationed at all important public infrastructures and hotels in the FCC, especially the Transcorp Hilton Venue of the Forum.
Apart from workers on essential duties, most of the vehicles permitted around those security zones were convoys carrying participants in the WEFA, which started yesterday.
Against this backdrop, a combined team of security agents that were specifically assigned for WEFA including those from the armed forces, Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Department of Security Service (DSS), and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) amongst others, helped to regulate vehicular movement in and out of the marked zone, preventing those without the official badge from the venue of the event.
This security measures, however created a difficult situation for workers on essential duty without means of transportation.
Most of them had a hectic time reaching their offices, as there were few commercial taxis operating within the city.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on May3 ordered the closure of all government offices and schools in the FCT, from May 7 to May 9 to ensure a hitch-free event.
Jonathan, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, explained that the directive was to ensure free flow of traffic in the city during the event.
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