By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has flagged off the construction of 9 kilometre roads each in the Six Area Councils.
At the beginning of the flag off of Paikon Kore-Ibwa road in Gwagwalada Area council on Thursday, the minister said the initiative was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to the minister, the project was part of 30-kilometre roads that would be constructed across the councils of the territory.
He explained that the road construction was designed to make rural dwellers comfortable and open rural communities for development.
Wike stated that two additional roads would also be constructed in each of the area councils before the end of the year, to make it three rural roads per area council.
He said for the residents to still have hope in government there was the need to extend roads construction beyond the municipal
The minister blamed the spate of rural urban migration on lack of roads and other basic amenities needed to make life comfortable.
According to him, the project will not only address insecurity, but will equally improve access to school, enable evacuating of farm produce to the market and boost economic activities.
The minister assured the contractor that funding would not be a problem, stressing that he would accept nothing short of expected quality.
“Funding will not be a problem but do it well; the people are entitled to quality roads.
“I will not tell you when I will come here for inspection. I will not also depend on a report from the director overseeing the project.
“What I will depend on is what I see with my own eyes,” Wike said.
Oversite Director, Satellite Towns Development Department, FCTA, Dr Olusegun Olusa said the benefiting communities were selected due to infrastructural deficit.
Olusa added that the project, awarded to Setraco Nigeria Ltd, would be delivered before May 29 to mark President Tinubu’s one year in office.
Earlier, Chairman, Gwagwalada Area Council, Abubakar Giri, commended the minister for the gesture, which he described as the first rural project to be executed by FCT minister in the area.
Giri said the road, when completed, would improve security in rural communities due to improved access to communities and boost the economy of the people.
According to him, 90 per cent of the people in the area are farmers, who will benefit immensely from the road projects by evacuating agricultural produce to the market.
The Managing Director, Setraco Nigeria Ltd, Mr Ziad Mouannes, promised to deliver the project according to specification.
Mouannes called for the support of the FCT Administration, particularly funding and security to ensure timely completion of the project.
