Follow Us on Google
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, yesterday used the commissioning of the Jahi–Gwarimpa interchange to say President Bola Tinubu has achieved in three years what former Senate president, David Mark, failed to deliver during his eight years in office — notably the rehabilitation of the Akwanga–Makurdi road.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II interchange, where President Tinubu was represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Wike framed the administration’s road programme as transformational and people-centred.
“ADC has conceded that in terms of road infrastructure, Mr. President has done very, very well,” he said. “Without roads, you cannot go to hospital, you cannot go to school, and you cannot go to farm. Roads are the bedrock of development in any society.”
Wike singled out David Mark, whom he described as chairman of a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and criticised the former Senate President’s record on infrastructure delivery. He said the Akwanga–Makurdi road — awarded while Mark held high office — remained in poor condition and constrained movement for ordinary people.
“The poor people could not afford to travel to Makurdi because there was no road. But David Mark, as Senate president then, was flying helicopters,” Wike said. “Today, because of the intervention of this administration, people can drive freely to Makurdi and Otukpo. The same David Mark, who once relied on helicopters can now travel by road too.”
Other News
Wike used the example to underline what he described as the Tinubu administration’s political will and commitment to continuity. He said the Jahi–Gwarimpa interchange itself had been awarded before the current government took office but stalled until the present administration provided mobilisation and follow-through.
“One of the problems of development in Nigeria is that new administrations often abandon projects initiated by their predecessors. But President Tinubu has shown that government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people, regardless of who awarded them,” he said.
Describing the interchange as a milestone for residents who had doubted the project’s completion, Wike also rejected suggestions that the government’s focus was limited to roadworks. He highlighted investments in water infrastructure across satellite towns and referenced a recently commissioned project in Karu, while announcing a major water project in Bwari set for inauguration on July 14.
“It is not correct to say we are only doing roads,” he said. “In Karu, we commissioned water supply infrastructure, and by July 14 we will commission another major water project in Bwari. These are projects designed to improve the lives of ordinary people.”
Wike challenged critics to point to similar investments in satellite towns under previous administrations, insisting that the Renewed Hope Agenda was delivering tangible benefits across the Federal Capital Territory.
