The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has warned directors in the Administration against sitting on files for weeks, saying once he has granted approvals, the bureaucracy should be able to do its due diligence within seven days and ensure the release of funds.
Wike added that he would not allow anyone stifle the development of rural communities in the nation’s capital, describing any director who refuses to act on files that he has already approved as a saboteur.
The minister handed down the warning on Tuesday in Abuja during the flag-off of the 5-kilometre Naharati – River Ukya – Unguwan Hausawa road in Abaji Area Council of the territory.
It is the fifth flag-off of rural road construction in the Area Councils since Wike assumed office.
He said; “I know that you had suffered quite a lot in the past and you want things to change immediately. I want to appeal to you to be patient. I will never associate myself with anything that will not work. As I tell you that things will turn around positively, be assured that they will turn around positively. The decisions taken by Mr. President may not materialize immediately but just be calm. You will reap it.
“We had a meeting on Monday with the most senior director and I was telling them that woe unto that director who will keep a file that I have approved for weeks. Woe unto you because you are a saboteur. Once I approve, do the needful. You can take a week to do due diligence. You don’t need to take 20 days. The contractors are humans. When the money does not get to them on time, they incur more costs and then they begin to seek variation even though they know that variation is not in my dictionary. So, I need the support of the bureaucracy so that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.”
Noting that President Tinubu has mandated him to ensure even development of the councils, Wike said all the rural roads being flagged-off would be completed before the end of the year.
“Mr. President has mandated me and the Minister of State to see that we come to the Area Councils for you to feel the impact of governance. We have talked about insecurity. If you don’t have good roads can you fight insecurity? One of the ways of fighting insecurity is to provide good roads so that security agencies can chase criminals and apprehend them. If you don’t have good roads you can’t go to the farms. This road is to also support agricultural development.
“The president has told us that development should not only be concentrated in the city. One of the reason for rural-urban migration is access to amenities and when you provide that in the rural areas, people will stay in their areas.
“Insecurity does not know any political party. Hardship does not know who belongs to which party. Therefore the council chairmen owe the people to provide good governance. They have all agreed with us to work with this administration to make sure that our people will not lose out and I want to commend them for that.
“All these projects we are starting will be completed this year. None will get to next year. We must make people have confidence in government by fulfilling our promises. Be assured that these roads in the six Area Councils will be completed before the year ends”, he added.
Also at the flag-off ceremony, Mr. Nyesom Wike gave more clarification on his impression about the proposed Abuja University of Technology, Abaji, saying he has never denigrated the institution as a glorified secondary school.
This clarification is coming on the backdrop of claims that the minister had refused giving consideration towards completing the university, describing it as a glorified secondary school.
However, the minister said, “When the Chairman of Abaji requested for the university to be opened this September, I said anything worth doing is worth doing well. That I will prefer to make this university one of the best and not to rush. So I can not call a university a glorified secondary school because it is not yet there. You can’t call something glorified when the thing has not yet started.
“Those who don’t know should know that the university is the baby of the FCT. The president gave me the opportunity to serve as the FCT Minister. I said it would be my joy that it was during my time while I was serving as FCT Minister that this university was open and everybody will be happy that this is what a university should be. I just want to correct that impression that I said the university is a glorified secondary school.”
Earlier, Chairman of the Council, Abdullahi Abubakar said the road will facilitate the movement of goods and services by supporting agricultural development.
While he called on the people to remain united in their determination to see the project through to completion, he expressed the support of his people to the administration.
