Rural dev’t: Pace of road projects in G/lada excites Wike

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike has expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of two major road projects at their various stages of development and completion in Gwagwalada Area Councils of the FCT.
Wike, who was visibly excited yesterday when he carried out inspection of construction site of the 9 kilometer Paikon Kore/Ibwa rural road in Gwagwalada, was thrilled at the level of its development and impact of the road on the people in the area.
He also visited the site of the ongoing rehabilitation of the 10-kilometer Aguma Palace – Radio Nigeria – New Market Road located within the Gwagwalada Area Council, all aimed at opening up Abuja.
According to the minister, the execution of the projects and others infrastructural development, was in fulfilment of the Renewed Hope agenda, which is the promise Mr. President has made, to rekindle the hope of everybody in the society.
He said: “By the time these roads are completed and the farmers are now going to farm, it will reduce. So these are part of the strategies. Infrastructure is basic to turn around any economy in any part of the world. If they don’t have basic infrastructure, too bad.
“That is part of the problems we have had in Abuja here, and we are trying to make sure that we create more infrastructure to open up, not just the city, also the rural areas, so that the economy will thrive.
“You can’t talk about governance or impact of government without touching all areas, be it in the city, be it in the satellite town, which we may refer to as the rural areas.
“As such, it is the responsibility of every government, and you know under the Renewed Hope agenda, this is the promise Mr. President has made, to rekindle the hope of everybody.
“Yes, things were bad yesterday, but we are trying to improve to make sure that things will not be bad today or be worse tomorrow. The Agoma Palace road and the road leading to Radio Nigerian and the rest of it, you can see the joy of the residents and those who carry out their business activities.
“So when there is a positive impact, the people will always rejoice and say that yes, we are feeling the presence of government. The last time I came, there was a culvert that was going on then. But as I was coming, you wouldn’t even notice it again. And I was really asking the company whether this could be achieved. Indeed, it has been achieved.”
He continued: “You can see how the residents have trooped out. So nobody that sees good things will not appreciate it, and you see that people are complaining because they’ve never had any impact of government But now, they can feel, they can see that indeed, there is a government that is working for them to change their lives in a positive way.
“It would be impossible to meet up with street lights by December. I asked the the company, the only thing they did was to remind us that street lights were like an additional job to what we agreed.
“If the job was awarded alongside with street lights, they would have worked out accordingly. But, because it was like an additional job, just for some reasons, we said okay, let all the rural roads also have street lights.
“Hopefully by the grace of God, January, they’ll be able to meet up. But what is important for now, is the road, and what is very basic for our farmers to go to farm and bring their produce to the cities. So I think we are on top of it, and by the grace of God, we shall accomplish it.”