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=By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday challenged his political opponents to back their ambitions with visible achievements.
He made the remark during the commissioning of the once-abandoned 16-kilometre Idu-Zuba Expressway, a project now completed at a revised cost of N31 billion.
Wike threw down the gauntlet to political opponents ahead of the next Area Council elections, asserting that only those who have delivered tangible development projects deserve the support of the people.
“We will show roads, bus terminals, and schools. The work we’ve done is our campaign. When you give the people what they want, the result is clear,” Wike stated.
He emphasized this point during the official commissioning of the key expressway. “These roads were Initially awarded in 2014 at N7 billion, the project suffered years of delay due to poor funding and administrative bottlenecks. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the road was revived and completed in less than a year.
Wike lauded President Tinubu for backing impactful infrastructure, noting that the expressway is a critical link to Abuja’s industrial hub and will unlock massive economic opportunities.
“This is the industrial site of Abuja. The Idu Industrial Park alone can generate not less than 40,000 direct jobs if fully supported. But for years, the companies there couldn’t proceed because they had no C-of-O (Certificate of Occupancy). We fixed that in two weeks,” he revealed.
The Minister did not shy away from criticizing the initial delay in executing the project, asserting that it could have been completed much sooner with proper commitment.
“If the FCDA had released just N500 million monthly from IGR, this project would have been done in a year. Instead, it took 11 years. That’s unacceptable,” the Minister said, expressing his disapproval of the prolonged timeline.
Wike also expressed concern over persistent bureaucratic hurdles, including the contractor’s inability to secure approval to cross the railway line for years.
“These are the things we must address if we truly want to move forward. No investor will come to a place without basic infrastructure. It’s the government’s responsibility to make that happen,” he added.
On the other hand, Wike disclosed that the contractor handling the project has indicated readiness to complete the left-hand side of the expressway, subject to tax concession support from the government. A proposal for this, he said, has been sent to the Ministry of Finance.
He commended President Tinubu for his unprecedented support to the FCT, highlighting that in just 10 days, the President and his representatives have commissioned 10 major projects in Abuja.
“Mr. President has personally commissioned five projects. The Senate President, Speaker, and Deputy Senate President have represented him at other. That shows leadership,” Wike said, acknowledging the President’s commitment.
Using a local proverb to illustrate the importance of presidential backing, he remarked: “When you see a monkey jumping from tree to tree, it’s because the trees are close. If the trees are far apart, the monkey falls. We’re doing well because Mr. President is supporting us.”
The Idu-Zuba Expressway is expected to ease congestion, improve access to industrial zones, and drive inclusive growth across the FCT and its satellite towns, adding to a growing list of infrastructure milestones under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.