The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Senate President David Mark, questioning his record on infrastructure while praising the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in road development.
Wike made the remarks on Thursday during the inauguration of the Interchange at the Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II Junction connecting the Jahi and Gwarimpa districts of Abuja. President Tinubu was represented at the event by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The minister’s comments came in response to recent criticisms of the Federal Government by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he noted had nonetheless acknowledged the administration’s progress in road construction.
“African Democratic Congress has conceded that in terms of road infrastructure, Mr President has done very, very well.
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 said.
Shifting his attention to David Mark, whom he described as chairman of a faction of the ADC, Wike questioned the former Senate President’s contribution to infrastructure, particularly during his eight years in office.
According to the minister, the Akwanga-Makurdi road project remained in a deplorable state despite being awarded while Mark held a leadership position.
“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.
“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,” Wike said.
He also commended the Tinubu administration for sustaining projects inherited from previous governments instead of abandoning them.
Using the Jahi-Gwarimpa interchange as an example, Wike explained that although the contract had been awarded before the current administration came into office, work failed to progress because mobilisation had not been provided until the present government intervened.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Promises Action as North-East Govs Table Security, Infrastructure Demands
“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 the government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people, regardless of who awarded them,” he said.
The minister added that many residents had lost hope that the interchange would ever be completed, describing its successful delivery as another milestone in the Federal Capital Territory’s ongoing infrastructure transformation.
Responding to claims that his administration has focused only on road projects, Wike said significant investments were also being made in water infrastructure across satellite communities in the FCT.
He recalled the commissioning of a water supply project in Karu and disclosed that another major water project in Bwari would be inaugurated on July 14.
“It is not correct to say we are only doing roads. 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,” he said.
Wike challenged critics to point to similar infrastructure projects executed in satellite towns by previous administrations, insisting that the Renewed Hope Agenda is producing visible improvements across the Federal Capital Territory.
Since assuming office in August 2023, the Federal Capital Territory Administration under Wike has continued an extensive infrastructure development campaign across the nation’s capital.