President Bola Tinubu says his administration is not in the presidency to occupy space but to work for the citizens and residents of the country, as evident in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday while inaugurating the newly constructed Akinwumi Ajibola Street, covering Important Local Streets (ILS) 16, 18, and 19, in Gaduwa District, Abuja.
The president, who was represented by the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said, “We are here to open a road, but more importantly, we are here to restore access.”
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we said clearly: we did not come to occupy space. We came to work. Today, that promise is visible on these streets.
“In this government, we measure ourselves by finished work. This street is finished work.”
Tinubu noted that for years, families in Gaduwa built homes in good faith, yet they had no motorable road to reach those homes.
“When the rains came, the place became impassable. That is not how a capital city treats its citizens,” he said.
He said that his administration has no excuse for “no money”. We pay on time, and we demand performance on time.
“The asphalt you see, the drainage that will carry water away, and the streetlights that will make nights safer are proof that we meant what we said.”
He said that the completed project would improve urban mobility, raise property values, reduce vehicle damage and travel time and return dignity to residents who should never have been forced to choose between owning a home and reaching it.
He commended FCT minister Mr Nyesom Wike for changing the culture of project delivery and ending the era of mobilisation without movement in the FCT.
He equally praised Wike for taking development from the city centre into the districts and the satellite towns and street by street “so that no resident is left behind.
“That is leadership. You inspect, you correct, you finish. Wike, you have my confidence, you have my commendation, and the FCT has your results. Well done to you and to your team.”
He urged residents of the area to protect the infrastructure, adding that a street built by the government and maintained by its community becomes permanent.
“That is the partnership I am asking for. Every district deserves access; every citizen deserves to feel the impact of governance where they live. Together, we can make it happen,” he said.
In his remarks, Wike said the event was the 16th out of the 31-day projects’ inauguration to celebrate Tinubu’s third year in office.
He said that so far, every district in the FCT had been impacted with one project or the other, saying, “We have taken development to Jahi, Gwarimpa, Katampe, Guzape, Kwali and now Gaduwa.”
The minister cautioned the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) against naming roads constructed by the federal government without due approval.
“If the federal government constructs the roads, permission must be obtained before naming them. Do not wait for us to build roads before putting names on them or using them to generate revenue,” he warned.
On her part, FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, said that the project reflected the administration’s commitment to people-orientated infrastructure that improves mobility, enhances economic activities and raises the living standards of residents.
Mahmoud reiterated the FCT administration’s commitment to sustain the pace of infrastructure development across the territory. (NAN)
