INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT: FCT MINISTER THANKS PRESIDENT FOR ASSENT TO THE 2024 STATUTORY BUDGET
FCT Minister Barrister Nyesom Wike discusses with the MD, Gilmor Engineering Ltd during his tour of road construction projects in Guzape on Wednesday.
1. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assenting to the FCT’s 2024 statutory budget.
2. The FCT Minister expressed his appreciation in Abuja on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, when he carried out a routine inspection of ongoing projects in the FCT.
3. The projects visited by the Minister include the provision of engineering infrastructure to the Guzape District Lot II, the Provision of roads and engineering infrastructure to the New Layout, and the Diplomatic Area as Phase II Contract of the ongoing Guzape Lot II District Infrastructure.
4. Others are the provision of engineering infrastructure to Guzape District II Cadastral Zone A11 District, Emergency Contract for the Resurfacing of existing roads in Asokoro District and Extension of Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) from the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to the Southern Parkway (S8/S9).
5. He said, “We want to thank Mr. President who has assented to the appropriation Act and enabled us to start the procurement process”.
6. The Minister said with the assent of the President to the FCT’s 2024 budget, the territory will witness a revolution in the provision of infrastructure. He also pledged the commitment of the FCTA to ensuring the completion of some of the ongoing projects that are scheduled to be commissioned in May this year.
7. He said, “What you will see will be a revolution in terms of infrastructure. With this budget, a lot of things will be done, not just on road construction but in the health sector and education sector. Just be assured that it will be a revolution of the infrastructure in Abuja”.
FCT Minister Barrister Nyesom Wike flanked by senior officials of the FCTA and Gilmor Engineering Ltd tour road construction sites in Guzape District on Wednesday
8. Barr. Wike who also expressed satisfaction with the quality and speed of the road construction efforts in the FCT, further commended residents of the FCT for their support and understanding of the challenges, especially on the diversion of traffic.
9. He however frowned at undue criticisms of the development efforts of the FCT Administration, especially in the areas of road construction seemingly to the detriment of other sectors and the supposed absence of streetlights in some areas saying that those behind such criticisms are sadists.
10.He said the FCT Administration has been consistent in its efforts to repair the streetlights that were vandalized adding that streetlights are also being introduced to the ongoing road projects the FCT.
11.He said, “People should be able to commend the government when there are improvements. I didn’t say that we are going to concentrate only on roads. We are saying we are going to dwell on the health sector and the education sector, even in agriculture.
12.“In terms of education, in the last few weeks, we have flagged off the renovation of about 19 schools and I did say that we are going to take up 21 schools again under the 2024 budget.
13.“These people know. It’s just that sometimes, they find it difficult to accept the reality on the ground that yes things have changed… They are not happy because what they expect is not what they see. They thought that we would have failed, but unfortunately, we are not failing. We are getting stronger and stronger every day. So, don’t bother about sadists. There is nothing you can do about them”.
ANTHONY OGUNLEYE
DIRECTOR PRESS
(OFFICE OF THE MINISTER
03/04/2024
FCTA/ODP/PR/523