Government must bring development to grassroot – Wike

FCT Minister, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has said that the government was duty-bound to bring development to the people.

The Minister stated this on Thursday, November 21, 2024 when he inspected ongoing two road projects in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.

Projects inspected were the rehabilitation of the 11km Aguma Palace/Radio Nigeria/New Market road and the 9km Paikon Kore/Ibwa road within the area council.

Addressing journalists shortly after the inspection exercise, Barr. Wike stressed that the impact of government can only be felt when it reaches all areas and all the people.

He said, “You can’t talk about good governance or the impact of government without touching all areas, be it in the city or the satellite towns which you will refer to as rural areas. As such, it is the responsibility of every government. And you know under the Renewed Hope Agenda, this is the promise the President has made, to rekindle the hope of everybody.

“Yes, things were bad yesterday, but we are trying to improve to make sure that things don’t get worse”.

The Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of work on both road projects and commended the contractors handling them.

Commenting on the crowd of residents that gathered at both sites to show appreciation to the Minister and his team, the Minister said that the people can now see that the current government is working to change their lives for the better and they are happy.

He said, “Yes, the residents have trooped out because nobody sees good things and will not appreciate it. People were complaining before because they never had any impact on the government but now they can feel, they can see that indeed there is a government that is working to change their lives in a positive way”.

While assuring residents that all the roads will delivered with streetlights, the Minister said the most important part of the projects was their completion by December, 2024, to enable farmers in the rural areas access their farms and bring their produce to the city, thereby ensuring food security.

He added that the construction of roads in the rural area was a strategy of the government to bring down the cost of food items and urged residents to continue to support the government and be patient as things will improve for the better.

The Minister assured that before the end of the first tenure of the present administration, the spate of development will speak for itself, that this administration has come to give hope to the people.

He said, “Infrastructure is basic to turn around any economy in any part of the world. If you don’t have basic infrastructure, too bad. That is part of the problems we have had in Abuja and we are trying to create more infrastructure to open up, not just the city but the rural area so that the economy of Abuja will thrive”.

On the involvement of the Area Council Chairmen in the infrastructure development in the rural area, the Minister said the FCT Administration is working together with the chairmen, adding that the Chairmen were also doing their best with the funds available to them.

The Minister said, “Don’t expect them to carry out this kind of magnitude of project because they don’t have that kind of resources. But the mere fact that they are giving us the support to carry out this project without any protest.

“You know sometimes you may be carrying out the project and the community and the Chairmen may not be in support, they will begin to sabotage it…we have never had such..so it means they have fully bought into the project and own it as their own and that is why we are succeeding. So, they are really doing well”.

FCT Minister, Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike (L) addressing Jubilating residents of Ibwa during the inspection visit to ongoing Paikon Kore/Ibwa road project in Gwagwalada Area Council on Thursday

An aerial view of the ongoing Paikon Kore/Ibwa road project in Gwagwalada Area Council