The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, said his administration is able to execute road projects in rural communities without hitches due to the support of area council chairmen and community members.
Wike stated this in Gwagwalada on Thursday when he inspected the ongoing rehabilitation of the 9-kilometre Paikon Kore–Ibwa road, and the Aguma Palace–Radio Nigeria-New Market road in Gwagwalada Area Council.
He explained that the chairmen of the six area councils of the FCT were working in tandem with the FCT administration.
“They have given us support to carry out these projects without any protest.
“You know, sometimes when you are executing a project and the communities and the councils’ chairmen are not in support, they will begin to sabotage the project.
“They will create a situation where some youths will be angry for one reason or the other and begin to protest. We have not had those complaints so far.
“This means that the community has fully bought into the projects and owned them as their own. That is why we are succeeding,” Wike said.
The minister stressed that council chairmen were also “doing their best for their people within available resources.
“Some of them have even invited me to commission some of the projects they have embarked upon.”
He further said that the lack of basic infrastructure in Abuja has stunted the economic growth of the capital city.
“If you don’t have basic infrastructure, too bad, and that is part of the problem we have had in Abuja.
“We are trying to make sure that we create more infrastructure to open up not just the city but the rural areas so that the economy will thrive,” Wike stated.
He added that all rural roads would be fitted with street lights as part of the government’s duty to bring development to all residents.
According to him, no one will talk about the impact of governance without touching all areas, be it in the city or rural areas.