Rural dev’t: Wike warns FCTA officials against sabotaging road projects

By Stanley Onyekwere

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has warned officials of the Administration against sabotaging execution of rural road projects in the Area Councils.
Wike noted his administration will not tolerate delay of files by officials due to unhealthy bureaucracy.
He made this point at the flag off of 7.2km Gaba-Tokulo-Kaima road, in Bwari Area council, on Friday.
In his words: “I told the civil servants that this is not going to be a period where they will bring bureaucracy to what they are doing, they minute a file to you, the file will stay two weeks, War be unto you that you will make anything that will not make this project to go on well.
“When a file comes to you do what the payment of contractors will be processed and pay to them because when you keep the file you suffer the project, and who will suffer? The community suffers.
“ I am not going to tolerate that, anybody who sabotages our efforts will also be sabotaged, so have it at the back of your mind.”
Also, the Minister told Bwari residents that all abandoned Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) projects as identified by chairman of the council will be restarted.
The minister explained that he would not be involved in awarding of contracts without money, which he described as the greatest 419.
He said: “I’m not going to be involved in award of any contract when we don’t have money, and that is why as I came on board I try to discourage directors to stop this idea of putting project when there is no money, it doesn’t make sense.”
He called on the traditional rulers and other residents to cooperate with the contractor to execute the project.
According to him: “The greatest 419 you do to community people is flagging off a project and the next one month you don’t see any contractor again, that is the highest 419.
“We will not be involved in that, if I start a project it must be completed, I am not going to do a project that will last more than one year, I won’t be a party to that .
“A project that will cause you six billion naira then you go and put in the budget three hundred million naira, are you willing to complete that project then? Certainly not.
“So, we are going to change the narrative, we are going to change the way people use to do things before. We are going to do something that will have direct impact on the people.
“Tinubu asks me to tell Bwari Area Council people that all what they requested should be given to them, therefore all your requests on the abandoned projects which was initially to be carried out by FCDA I can assure you that by the directive of the president, go home and sleep with your two eyes closed, those projects must be restarted.
“Part of insecurity is as a result of lack of basic infrastructure, people don’t have access to road make things difficult for even security agencies to carry out their jobs very well, each day you hear that there is crisis in the neighbouring communities, how can the police and other security agencies go there when there is no good road?”
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the chairman Bwari Area council, John Gabaya said Gaba-Tokulo -Kaima road project was initiated during the administration of former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida among many other abandoned projects in the area.
Similarly, Esu Bwari, Ibrahim Yaro commended the minister for identifying with the people and pledged to provide the necessary support for the project to be executed.
Yaro, also gave a traditional title of ‘Barden Bwari’, (protector, guardian or defender of Bwari people).