The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday criticised former Senate President David Mark over his record on infrastructure development.
Wike argued that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has delivered more road projects within three years than were achieved during Mark’s years in national leadership.
He made the remarks at the commissioning of the Interchange at the Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II Junction linking the Jahi and Gwarimpa districts of Abuja.
Tinubu was represented at the event by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The minister’s comments followed recent criticisms of the Federal Government by the African Democratic Congress, which he noted had nevertheless acknowledged the administration’s achievements in road infrastructure.
“African Democratic Congress has conceded that in terms of road infrastructure, Mr President has done very, very well. 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 said.
Turning to Mark, whom he identified as chairman of a faction of the ADC, Wike questioned the former Senate President’s contribution to infrastructure development, particularly during his eight-year tenure in office.
He cited the Akwanga-Makurdi road project, which he said remained in poor condition despite being awarded during Mark’s time in leadership.
“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.
“Today, because of the intervention of this administration, people can drive freely to Makurdi and Otukpo. The same David Mark, who once relied on helicopters, can now travel by road too,” Wike said.
The minister argued that the Tinubu administration had demonstrated the importance of continuity in governance by completing projects initiated by previous administrations rather than abandoning them.
According to him, the Jahi-Gwarimpa interchange project was awarded before the current administration assumed office but had received neither mobilisation nor significant progress until the present government intervened.
“One of the problems of development in Nigeria is that new administrations often abandon projects initiated by their predecessors. But President Tinubu has shown that the government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people, regardless of who awarded them,” he said.
Wike noted that many residents of the area had doubted the project would ever be completed, describing its delivery as another milestone in the ongoing transformation of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also dismissed claims that the administration’s development agenda was focused solely on roads, highlighting ongoing investments in water infrastructure across satellite towns in the FCT.
The minister recalled the recent commissioning of a water supply project in Karu and announced that another major water infrastructure project in Bwari would be inaugurated on July 14.
“It is not correct to say we are only doing roads. In Karu, we commissioned water supply infrastructure, and by July 14 we will commission another major water project in Bwari. These are projects designed to improve the lives of ordinary people,” he said.
Wike challenged critics to identify similar investments in satellite communities under previous administrations, insisting that the Renewed Hope Agenda was delivering tangible benefits to residents across the territory.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration under Wike has embarked on an aggressive infrastructure drive since the minister assumed office in August 2023.
The PUNCH