Akpabio joins Wike, lampoons Kingibe

From Fred Itua, Abuja

In an apparent show of support for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has urged him to ignore criticisms from Senator Ireti Kingibe and stay focused on delivering infrastructure projects, including the Kugbo Bus Terminal.

Akpabio said the significance of the project in enhancing the quality of life for residents of Karu, Nyanya, and surrounding areas cannot be overemphasised

In a strong rebuttal to Kingibe, Akpabio said: “A lot of people will say things. I saw a legislator on television mentioning that she was not carried along. Well, she is a member of the Senate, and when a decision is taken, she is bound by that decision. Please ignore every distraction and be rest assured that no matter what you do, not everyone will praise you. Others will still try to find fault.”

He praised Wike’s transformative efforts in upgrading transportation networks, constructing abandoned roads, and developing state-of-the-art facilities.

Akpabio called for continued collaboration among stakeholders and residents to protect and maintain the new facilities.

The Kugbo Bus Terminal project, flagged off on Tuesday, is expected to facilitate efficient movement, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the overall quality of life for residents and visitors. security stakeholders said on Thursday, that addressing poverty and bad governance were key to curbing insecurity currently ravaging the Sahel region.

Wike thanked Akpabio for flagging off the project and acknowledged the support of the Senate and House Committees on FCT and Area Council in securing funding through the 2024 Appropriation Act.

“The administration of Mr. President is not just for the elites or those who can afford it but for people who cannot afford it,” Wike emphasised.

“Look at the kind of rainfall today, how many people will be on the road to wait for taxis or buses? They have to go back to their houses and probably not be able to go to work today for their daily activities. But when this bus terminal is completed, you have access to the place whether it’s raining or not.

“You can identify or know who is the person that is picking you and take you safely to wherever you are going. It will also reduce ‘one chance’ incidents, where you are on the road, you don’t know who has the car, and the person tells you, ‘Are you going to Nyanya?’ and you say yes, then the next story you hear is that the person has been kidnapped.

“With this, you don’t need to go and wait on the road; you just come to the bus terminal and board wherever you are going. This will reduce the level of insecurity.”

Wike continued, “What makes our city a great city is when basic infrastructure is provided. A city like Abuja, until now, cannot have proper public transportation, and with what Mr. President has directed us to do, I believe in the next twelve, thirteen months, there will be a change in transportation in FCT.”

He thanked the Senate President, the committee chairman of FCT and Chairmen of Area Councils for their support.

“This is not a project where you will say that there is no adequate funding. It has been our practice for projects that don’t have adequate budgeting not to embark on such projects. So, funding for this project is provided in the 2024 appropriation budget.

“You would have said no for a project of almost 16 billion naira, you are putting in only 1 billion in the budget, which means that project will never see the light of the day. All our projects today that we are doing have adequate funding provided in the budget,” Wike affirmed.