President Bola Tinubu has praised Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for implementing his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the nation’s capital.
This comes as the president emphasised his administration’s readiness to see more of these achievements duplicated around the country.
The president stated that Wike had not only localised the agenda but also made his administration’s influence obvious to Nigerians living in the FCT.
Speaking on Monday during the opening of newly constructed access roads in Abuja’s Giri District, he extended “a deep and heartfelt appreciation” to the FCT minister.
The President, represented by Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, remarked, “Honourable Minister, continue to shine your light. Nigeria sees it. And history will document it.”
The president defined Wike as “a man whose quiet diligence and visionary leadership have continued to transform the landscape of the Federal Capital Territory.”
Tinubu stated that the roads being opened in Giri District are more than just access routes, emphasising that they are “bridges of inclusion, signals of recognition, and instruments of national unity; they remind us that development must reach the outskirts just as much as the centre.”
“Your work speaks for itself. In every corner of the FCT, from the fast-paced districts of Maitama, Jahi, Katampe, Wuye, Mabushi and the likes to the satellite towns of Gwagwalada, Kwali, Bwari, Kuje and Abaji and growing districts such as Kabusa, Ketti, Sheretti and now Giri, your leadership has brought progress closer to the people.
“You have not only embraced the vision of my administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, but you have also localised it, made it visible, and made it real. Your actions have brought quality and excellence to the doorstep of communities long left in the shadows.
“These newly constructed access roads are not just infrastructural achievements — they are statements of intent; the intention to open up Giri district and the FCT.
“They show that under this administration, no community is too small, no area too distant, and no citizen too insignificant to benefit from the dividends of democracy.”
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, represented by the Secretary, Mohammed Hammajoda, said access to the new EFCC Academy within the Giri District had been a challenge, adding that with the construction of the road, the construction of the academy can now progress.
“Upon my assumption of office as Executive Chairman, I prioritised the development of these sites. However, the major challenge that confronted us was to assess the site. We were actually at a loss on how to navigate this challenge until the Minister of FCT, the man called Mr Project, came to our rescue. He not only promised to construct the road, but he also delivered the road in record time.
“With this infrastructure, the development of this academy can now proceed. On completion, the EFCC Academy will be a centre of excellence in financial crime enforcement, training and research. A cybercrime research centre will also be domiciled in the academy,” he said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Wike praised the President and the National Assembly for their support of the FCT Administration, noting that he had directed continued development of the district.
“This Giri District, of course, has to be developed like other districts. Having created this access road, we have told the Executive Secretary of FCDA and other relevant agencies to start working out how we are going to do the roads within the district.
“So, be assured that maybe next year it will be a different thing,” Wike said.
Wike also revealed that the construction of the road helped the administration to stop the University of Abuja from claiming more hectares of land.
“This road has helped us to stop the land grabbing by the university. The university, on its own, grabbed 11,000 hectares. That’s all you see there, fencing everywhere. And before you know it, they were going to sell our land.
“So, I’ve told the Director of Lands and the other relevant agencies to carve out 4,000 hectares and give it to the university. They are the ones who are going to protect it because we are going to provide the roads here,” Wike stated.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
