Protest: Give us time – Wike begs FCT residents

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, while inspecting ongoing road projects in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday, called on residents to shun any action that could jeopardise the efforts of the government.

The roads inspected are the 11 km Highway 105, which links the Outer Southern Expressway to the Kuje township and the 5 km emergency asphalt carriageway running through Kuje town.

Addressing the residents, Wike called on them to be patient and support the government’s efforts to improve their wellbeing.

The minister, who spoke in pidgin English, said that while hope was lost before, the present administration has brought back hope to the people, adding that the government is taking measures to alleviate the current economic hardship in the country and will also continue to provide basic infrastructure to the people.

This, he said, will ensure that residents have good roads to access their farms and markets, standard hospitals and good schools for their children.

Wike stressed that the challenges in the country cannot be fixed overnight and urged residents to exercise more patience and support the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, adding that with the people’s cooperation, the economic hardship will soon be a thing of the past.

He used the opportunity to call on residents to shun acts that could sabotage efforts made by the administration to bring hope back to the people, urging residents to protect the peace of the nation’s capital.

He said: “For FCT na the centre of the country, the indigenes and the residents, wey dey here, we must protect FCT.

“Even if problem go dey for anywhere, e no go be FCT. Because na here all of us stay. So I appeal say those of una wey get am for mind to dey go do something wey no good, say una wan go do follow people wey no know where dem dey go, wey de do things wey no get head, no get tail, make una withdraw, give us time.”

The minister assured that the projects inspected would be completed before the end of the year and urged the contractors to ensure they deliver the projects at the scheduled time.

Both contractors for the projects, Arab Contractors and Gilmor Nigeria Limited assured that the projects would be completed as soon as possible.

Present at the inspection were the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud; Coordinator, STDD, Hon. Abdulkadir Zulkiflu; Director, Engineering Services, Richard Dauda; other senior officials of the FCTA; former senator representing the FCT, Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda; and officials of Arab Contractors and Gilmor Nigeria Ltd.