There is no doubt that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike came prepared for the job at hand. Certainly for now, he has not disappointed his principal. He came with the toga of Mr project and he is replicating the “wonders” he performed as Rivers State Governor.
Already, residents of the Federal Capital Territory are happy with Mr Project as the landscape is being transformed from a sleeping nation’s capital to a construction site.
Besides hitting the ground running, he has done and still leaving a landmark of firsts in many aspects of the administration of the Territory.
He has also set the record of operating a separate account from the TSA. Revenue generated are used for the developments of the Territory.
For the first time also, FCTA has a separate civil service structure like a state
It gives room to progression among the civil servants in FCT. Before now, the peak of any civil servant in FCTA is a director. But with the new FCT civil service, any staff can reach his/her peak of becoming a Permanent Secretary. Hitherto, Permanent Secretary was usually posted from the Head of Service of the Federation.
Now FCTA has 9 Permanent Secretaries and a Head of Service.
Another first was Wike recent tours of the six Area Councils that constitute the FCT in six days.
At each of the Area Councils, Wike ensured that construction was extended from the city centre to the nook and cranny of the FCT
At the beginning, he started with the city centre but recently under 6 days, he extended the construction into the hinterlands of the Area Councils.
At the end of the visits the residents of the FCT are rejoicing thanking God for the renewed hope agenda that the minister is pursuing with vigour.
The success story is that for the first time in recent history the FCTA is spreading development to the rural areas of the Territory.
Wike while flagging off the construction of roads in each of the six Area Councils, promised the communities additional roads to be constructed or rehabilitated sooner than expected.
For instance a 5km access road in Saburi 1 and 2 communities in the Abuja Municipal Area Council(AMAC) of the FCT which was the last Area Council to be visited got another road to be constructed.
The road work commenced from the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) to old Keffi road, near the Dei-Dei International Market in Abuja.
Wike said the road project is part of the six important roads nominated for construction by each of the six Area Council Chairmen in the FCT, as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
In the meantime, Wike had earlier flagged off the construction of the 5km Naharati-Ukya River-Unguwar Hausawa road with three span bridge in Abaji Area Council as well as the 11 km Yangoji/Sukuk Ebo Road in Kwali Area Council in addition to the 5km Dual Carriageway from Tipper Garage to LEA Secretariat in Kuje Area Council.
Other rural roads also flagged off by the Minister included the 9km Paikon Kore to Ibwa road in Gwagwalada Area Council as well as the 7.2 kilometer Gaba Tokulo road with two-span bridge in Bwari Area Council.
The Minister said the construction of these rural roads in the FCT Area Councils would be completed before the year runs out.
He added that the President has mandated him and the Minister of State to do everything possible to give hope back to the people of the FCT.
The Minister thanked the Chairmen of the Area Councils, the traditional rulers and the entire people of the Councils for coming out to support the road construction projects.
He said he has told the Director in charge of Satellite Town Development Department that he must, as a matter of urgency, give these roads priority as the budget for the FCTA is being planned.
The Minister also disclosed that the FCT Administration will return to the Area Councils again in the next few months to flag off the construction of one more road in each of the six Area Councils of the FCT.
He recalled that Mr. President has emphasized that the rural areas must be given attention because they constitute a large part of the population.
As such, he reemphasized that it is not only where the elites are living but also where the poor ones are, so that “we will be able to reduce the level of insecurity and make economic activities thrive and also help our farmers to bring in their goods”.
In his remarks, the Chairman Senate committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, Sen. David Jimkuta said the National Assembly has keyed into the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President and will support the FCT Administration in any way possible.
He also called on FCT residents to support the agenda of the President to make the FCT a better place for all.
Indeed, there is no doubt that a new breeze is blowing in and around FCT and the dull moment hitherto has been replaced with visible developmental strides. Once again, Wike is really working.
. Abdul wrote in from Abuja via abduljelil2001@gmail.com
