Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Senate President David Mark, saying his leadership record pales in comparison to the road infrastructure achievements recorded by President Bola Tinubu’s administration in just three years.
Wike made the remarks on Thursday during the commissioning of the Interchange at Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II Junction, which links Jahi and Gwarimpa districts in Abuja. President Tinubu was represented at the event by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The minister’s comments came in response to recent criticisms of the Tinubu administration by the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC). He noted that even the ADC had acknowledged the significant progress made in road infrastructure.
“ADC has conceded that in terms of road infrastructure, Mr. President has done very, very well,” Wike said. “Without roads, you cannot go to hospital, you cannot go to school, and you cannot go to farm. Roads are the bedrock of development in any society.”
Wike questioned the infrastructural legacy of the ADC National Chairman during his eight years as Senate President, pointing to the Akwanga-Makurdi road, which was awarded under Mark’s leadership but remained in poor condition.
“The poor people could not afford to travel to Makurdi because there was no road. But David Mark, as Senate President then, was flying helicopters,” the minister said.
He contrasted this with the current situation, noting that residents can now drive freely to Makurdi and Otukpo due to interventions by the Tinubu administration. “The same David Mark, who once relied on helicopters, can now travel by road too,” Wike added.
The FCT minister praised President Tinubu for demonstrating strong political will and commitment to governance continuity, highlighting the Jahi-Gwarimpa interchange as a project awarded by the previous administration but left without significant progress until the current government stepped in.
“One of the problems of development in Nigeria is that new administrations often abandon projects initiated by their predecessors,” he said. “But President Tinubu has shown that government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people, regardless of who awarded them.”
Wike revealed that residents of the area had long doubted the project would ever be completed, describing its delivery as a major milestone in the transformation of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also pushed back against claims that the administration’s focus is limited to roads, citing substantial investments in water infrastructure across satellite towns. The minister challenged critics to identify similar investments in those areas by previous governments.
The Renewed Hope Agenda, according to Wike, continues to deliver tangible benefits to residents of the FCT.
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