Nyesom Wike at the launch of road resurfacing and bridge repairs in the FCT
Minister Wike also urged Abuja residents to pay their taxes.
By fabulous reports
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, called on Nigerians to show patience and understanding, as the policies of the Bola Tinubu administration take effect.
Mr Wike said the reforms of the government were not intended to punish anybody. Instead, he said, these policies will result in positive change very soon.
The Tinubu administration’s decision to end fuel subsidies has caused fuel prices to triple, leading to a surge in transport costs and higher food and electricity prices for many Nigerians using petrol generators.
At the same time, Nigerians are forced to contend with inflation of around 28 per cent, devaluation of the local currency, the naira, which has pushed it to record lows against the dollar, leading to even more price spikes and greater hardships.
On Tuesday, Mr Wike urged Nigerians to continue to support the president and pray for him to succeed. Before now, Mr Tinubu himself acknowledged that some of the government’s reforms were difficult and painful for Nigerians but he said they were necessary to achieve economic prosperity.
Mr Wike, who spoke at the launch of road resurfacing and bridge repairs in the FCT, said the administration is also working to address the security challenges bedeviling the capital city.
He said security agencies have been provided with the necessary logistics to address the security issues in the territory and called on residents to provide relevant information that will aid the job of the crime fighters.
The FCT administration is rehabilitating about 182 existing roads and has commenced remedial works on bridges in the Maitama, Garki, and Utako Districts of the FCT.
At Tuesday’s event, Mr Wike also urged residents to pay their taxes, noting that the tax is what will be used to develop infrastructure in the FCT.
“Pay your taxes so that we can pay the contractors on time and then we have good motorable roads,” he said.
He also charged the contractors to ensure that the project was completed within the stipulated time, emphasising that the projects must be completed before May 2024.
The minister also warned that contracts would be revoked for underperformance from local contractors, saying the idea of local content in contract awards is welcoming but insisted that contractors must show adequate capacity to execute the job.
“I support local content, but what I don’t support is local content without capacity,” he said. “All of us would like our people to do the job but I would also not say because you are doing the job, you don’t do it well and within the schedule. So, local content, whether you are white or you are black, do it well and do it within the schedule.”
Mr Wike added that the development of the FCT is paramount and transcends political affiliations. He said the FCT administration is collaborating with the six Area Council chairpersons, regardless of party lines, to advance the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the benefit of the populace.
“What we are doing today has nothing to do with political parties. What we are talking about is governance, how will the people of Abuja benefit? Party is a vehicle that takes you to your destination. When you get to your destination, you come down and work. This is about governance.”
“That’s why today, all the Area Councils are cooperating with us. It doesn’t matter whether they are in party A or whether they are in party B because poverty does not know the party you belong to. Insecurity does not know the party you belong to. So, we must put our hands together and support the renewed hope agenda of Mr President,” he said.
He thanked the leadership of the National Assembly and the various committees overseeing the FCT for their support while assuring that the FCT Administration will continue to work with the lawmakers for the development of the nation’s capital.
The minister also attributed the development strides in the FCT to the support of the president.
“Whatever we are doing here today is not on our own. Mr President is the Governor of the FCT by law, but he has decided to delegate his functions to us and so many of us who have been given that opportunity, we don’t have excuses. We must make the people happy and that’s what we are doing today.”
Speaking on the difficulties occasioned by the road rehabilitation exercise in the FCT, especially the traffic gridlocks, the minister called for understanding, saying sacrifices must be made to achieve development.
Earlier in his remark, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, thanked Mr Wike for his commitment to providing infrastructure in the council and commended the ongoing transformations in the city.
Also speaking, the Chairmen, Senate, and House of Representatives Committees on FCT, Ibrahim Bomai and Muktar Betara, respectively, pledged the support of the National Assembly for the developmental activities of the FCT Administration.
They expressed their readiness to be a part of “history”, working with the FCTA, in taking the FCT to the next level of transformation
