By Sunday Abah, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr. Nyesom Wike yesterday warned contractors handling various road and infrastructure projects across the territory against delaying execution.
Noting that the mandate of President Bola Tinubu’s administration is far from over, the minister stressed that project delivery must remain on fast-track until the end of the administration’s first tenure on May 29, 2027.
Speaking during an inspection tour of ongoing road projects in Abuja, the Minister declared that the FCT Administration (FCTA) would not tolerate any laxity, emphasising that public trust in the present administration was built on “promises made and promises fulfilled.”
Inspecting the long-delayed Apo-Karshi road project first awarded in 2010, Wike expressed satisfaction with the renewed pace of work, attributing the progress to the direct backing of President Tinubu.
He commended the contractors for deploying streetlights and pushing forward on the critical corridor, as well as the host communities for their cooperation.
However, the minister issued a firm directive to contractors handling the Bwari-Kubwa road axis, reminding them of the commitement made.
Wike declared, “Has the tenure of Mr President ended? Certainly not. His first tenure will be ending precisely May 29, 2027. So if that is the case, it means that the work has also not ended.
People expected that we should take out some time to rest, but the work is also important. We have made promises to the people during the commissioning and flag-off that there are very strategic projects that have to be commissioned before the end of the year”.
Addressing the Bwari-Kubwa road project, he added, “I don’t want the contractor to start shifting goalposts. They are contractors that I commend and they have always been serious, so I think that before the end of this year, they should be able to handover this road to us. We will do our own part by making sure that funds are made available to them before the dry season comes”.
The minister assured residents that all 10 strategic projects slated for completion across the territory would be delivered before January, warning that the administration would not allow public confidence in its delivery capacity to erode.
On the growing rate of illegal street car racing in residential parts of the nation’s capital, Wike appealed to young enthusiasts to respect the rights and safety of other road users.
While acknowledging that improved road networks in Abuja may have tempted sports enthusiasts to showcase the city’s infrastructure, he stressed that public safety remains paramount.
The minister disclosed that although no formal written complaint had reached his desk, the FCTA would immediately direct its Traffic Section to enforce restrictions and protect innocent citizens from harm.
”First of all, they are trying to show how beautiful the roads are, forgetting that there are aspects of it that also pose some danger to innocent citizens,” Wike noted.
The minister said, “Now that we have heard it, I will check the Traffic Section and let them understand that we will not allow that.
”If they are going to carry out car races, we have designated areas where they should do that, but not where we have residences of people. Nobody would allow that. Your rights have limitations, and life is more important. We will do everything possible to see that we don’t allow car racing within residential areas.”
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