By Joy Gyakyor
Among the best qualities of any good leader is his or her ability to excel in headhunting, leveraging on strategies, skills, and competencies of individuals who can help deliver on their visions. It may appear that this is playing out in the Renewed Hope agenda, being pursued by the present administration of President Bola Tinubu in the choice of the former Governor of Rivers State, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
President Tinubu’s pick of Wike has also come as a record-breaking step. Wike is now the second Southerner appointed to administer Nigeria’s seat of power-Abuja, since its creation in 1976, (47 years ago).
When Tinubu announced his cabinet on Wednesday 16th August 2023, it rained an atmosphere of excitement for several Nigerians who believed that deploying a vibrant Southern citizen to Abuja invoked the spirit of inclusion with the potential of rekindling the faith of the vast majority of the population that the nation’s capital is truly a home to all.
Wike’s proven track record and leadership experience that earned him the title of ‘Mr. Project’ also re-echoed in the country’s political landscape with the FCT appointment. It is not surprising that President Tinubu himself later described his choice of Wike for the ministerial portfolio as one of his best decisions.
On day one in office, Wike hit the ground running, leaving no one in doubt that he was on a mission to bring life back to the nation’s capital city inherited under a state of deep stagnation as many residents lamented. One of the earliest pivotal and remarkable policy actions of the Minister which he sought and got express approval from President Tinubu to implement was exiting the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) – a step that has eased the administration’s access to its internally generated revenue (IGR) for speedy execution of massive projects. The administration currently has a monthly IGR target of about N250billion.
Armed with this funding window and others, including diligent enforcement of the payment of outstanding ground rents and taxes in FCT to shore up revenue generation, Wike in the last one year, prioritized infrastructural development and urban renewal with great enthusiasm delivering on major ongoing and longtime abandoned projects.
During a press conference shortly after the cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the presidential villa in August 2023, Wike had assured FCT workers and residents of an infrastructural revamp in the city, an end to land racketeering, the completion of the vandalized Abuja metro system, a restoration of the territory’s master plan, regulation of motor parks and waste management, and restoration of green areas, among several other interventions. Within weeks in office, it soon became clear to close watchers that there was a new sheriff in town with his words retained as his bond.
In marking the first anniversary of President Tinubu’s administration, the FCT Minister in June this year, invited and took the President on a commissioning tour of several projects. When he arrived, a visibly impressed President Tinubu could not hold back encomium on Wike with what he saw delivered on the ground across the city.
“Wike is a force of human nature. Love him, hate him, but you cannot ignore him. Because at every point in time, he is striving to redefine the meaning and concept of leadership. Wike is one of the best appointments ever made in the history of the current democratic dispensation in this country. He is an exemplary leader, worthy of emulation by us all. He is a very mercurial partner,” an elated President Tinubu noted.
* A Drive for Infrastructure
Some critical projects commissioned by President Tinubu during the tour include the Southern Parkway, from the Christian Center to the Ring Road (renamed as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way), rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro Line, and construction of access roads to the train stations and parking lots and flag-off of the commercial operation of Abuja light rail, provision of engineering infrastructure to Wuye district, full scope development of Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) from the Villa roundabout to Ring Road 1, and full scope development of Arterial Road N20 from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) (renamed the Wole Soyinka Way). Others are the expansion of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) from the Villa roundabout to OSEX/Ring Road 1 junction, roads B6, B12, and Circle Road in Central Area, and the provision of engineering infrastructure to Guzape district lot II.
There are several other ongoing infrastructure projects such as the provision of engineering infrastructure to the New Layout and the Diplomatic area as phase II contract of the ongoing Guzape Lot II District Infrastructure and Guzape District II Cadastral Zone A11 District, the resurfacing of existing roads and remedial works on bridges in Asokoro, Garki, Maitama, and Utako districts.
The FCT Minister has also within a one year pushed for extensive ongoing works on the extension of the Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) from the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to the Southern Parkway (S8/9), the construction of the 11-kilometer access road (FCT Highway 105) from the Airport Expressway to Kuje Township with spur at Kyami and the resurfacing of 189 roads covering 57 kilometers of roads within the Abuja city center.
After 14 years of abandoned works, the new Vice President’s official residence built at the cost of N21billion was completed and commissioned by President Tinubu. The official residence of the FCT Minister located in the Life Camp area is also receiving a facelift with major renovation works ongoing.
* Satellite towns
Wike’s giant interventions for Abuja are not limited to the city center alone. In the last one year, the Minister with strong support from the presidency embarked on the construction of at least five kilometers of roads in each of the six Area Councils of the territory. Available statistics from his media department indicate that after due consultation with stakeholders on needs assessment, Wike, joined by the Minister of State, Mariyam Mahmoud, has perhaps completed more projects than their predecessor. In just one year, he kick-started the construction and rehabilitation of the 9km Paikon Kore-Ibwa road in Gwagwalada Area Council, the construction of a temporary access road to Saburi 1 and 2 communities within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from old Keffi road near the Dei-Dei International Market.
There is also the construction and rehabilitation of 7.2km Gaba-Tokulo road in Bwari Area Council, the construction of a 5km Asphalt Carriageway from Garage Junction to LEA Secretariat in Kuje Area Council, 11km Yangoji-Sukuku-Ebo road in Kwali Area Council as well as the construction of 5km Naharati-River Ukya-Unguwan Hausawa Road in Abaji Area Council. Work is currently ongoing on these rural roads with scheduled timelines for their completion by the end of this year.
* Education
A senior official of the FCTA Education Secretariat who does not want to be quoted in print says that what Wike has done in the sector within the last one year remains phenomenal, exciting, and encouraging. The official listed some of the bold interventions for education transformation to include the reconstruction of 19 secondary schools with 20 more to follow in 2024. The schools include LEA Primary School Bagusa, Karshi Model School, JSS Life Camp, Government Secondary School Garki, and JSS Aleita both in (AMAC),
Junior Secondary School Waru, LEA Primary School Atako, Kuje, and Abaji Model Primary School.
Others are the JSS Maitama, Government Science Technical College, Garki, Vocational Training Centre Karshi, Government Secondary School Karshi, School for the Gifted Gwagwalada, School for the Deaf, Kuje, Government Science Technical College, Maitama, Junior Secondary School, Pai Kwali, Government Science Technical College Kwal, FCT College of Education, Zuba, Government Secondary School Kuje, and Government Secondary School Wuse.
* Tackling insecurity
Minister Wike inherited a city enmeshed in a snarl of criminality – from one-chance operators in Abuja to kidnappers moving freely to abduct people in their homes. One first action taken to tackle the troubling situation was engagement with critical stakeholders in the territory.
Aside from these engagements, the FCT administration provided about 100 motorcycles to security personnel for effective patrol in hard-to-reach rural areas and distributed 50 operational vehicles fitted with communication gadgets to strengthen the fight against insecurity in the territory. “We are not just concentrating on infrastructure; we are not only concentrating on bringing development to the hinterland; we are also concentrating on providing security to protect lives and property,” the FCT minister assured during the presentation in Abuja.
With the arrest of two major kidnapping kingpins in the city and several measures of the government, a level of appreciable peace seems to have since returned to the nation’s capital. It is expected that if the request to the National Assembly by the FCT Minister on the need for a security vote as practiced by the 36 States is granted, there will be more funds available to further fight insecurity in Abuja.
The amount of darkness in parts of the city continued to provide a perfect cover for criminals. The story in the last year has since changed. There is a massive installation of street light poles with light-ups. The City Gate along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport road is a good example of the magic change in this regard.
* Bold Administrative Reforms
Many watchers of developments in Abuja like social rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mohammed Ndarani, have since given a pass mark to Wike as FCT minister, insisting that in just one year, he has performed far beyond his predecessors. In that period, the former Rivers State Governor has implemented major administrative reforms in the FCT with a footprint never to be easily forgotten.
Wike sought and received presidential approval and established a Civil Service Commission for the territory. The Act establishing the commission was passed by the National Assembly in 2018 but lack of political will stalled its take-off. Nine permanent secretaries have since been appointed for the administration.
This is the first time the territory will have such appointments since Abuja became the federal capital in 1976. Another major administrative reform include the creation of a Secretariat of Women Affairs and Youth Development. All of these actions are tailored towards bringing hope to residents of the nation’s capital. In May this year, the FCT Minister announced plans by the administration to also construct three bus terminals for intracity services in the city, a project expected to cost about N51 billion.
Former Senatorial Candidate for the FCT under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2023 elections, Dr. Anthony Zekwugo, is among several other Nigerians who believe strongly that Minister Wike can elevate Abuja to new heights. With what he has achieved so far in just one year, as a man of plan, a political juggernaut, he has proven to mesmerize as a true champion of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in Abuja.
