President Bola Tinubu on Sunday commended Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for the infrastructural transformation, expressing the hope that such good performance will give victory to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the FCT in 2027.
Tinubu stated this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when Wike led a delegation of prominent FCT residents on a traditional Sallah homage to mark the end of Ramadan fasting and the Eid-el-Fitr holiday.
In his remarks, Tinubu described Wike as ‘Mr Infrastructure’ and listed some of the various initiatives and projects executed by the minister, stressing that they have translated to better lives for Abuja residents, for which he remains grateful to the minister.
Tinubu, who did not hide his appreciation for the calibre of persons in the delegation, said, “I could see the diversity of men and women here; I must thank the Honourable Minister of FCT. It’s worth it.
“It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
“And when we started, he came up with a lot of good ideas to liberate the bureaucracy, bring forward-looking, progressive thinking to the administration, and give the opportunity to many of you that would have still been hindered by property rights.
“The independent Civil Service Commission solution and all of that that we discussed give opportunity for upward mobility and promotions that is consistent with the civil service structure, the Area Councils structure, and the indiscriminate development in the face of dwindling resources.
“I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please, take us out of this problem of Treasury Single Account (TSA) so that I can do more work and I achieve more.’ Then I said, ‘Okay, tell me what you’re about to do.’
“And he presented it, and I threw in my own political guide: ‘Would that give me any opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ I said, ‘I know where you are coming from – your own party (PDP) or my party. If this thing goes too much in your own favour, you will lose your job.’ Then he said, ‘Okay, we settle that, Oga.’
“And things started changing rapidly, and I started looking at the opening up of the rural areas, of abandoned projects, and the residence of the Vice President that has been abandoned for years came alive.
“The health centres are being rehabilitated. The health facilities of the residents of FCT are being upgraded. Our teachers at schools are being rehabilitated, and buildings are furnished. Thank you, Wike.”
Continuing, the president said, “We wouldn’t have been able to open our mouths to even celebrate if not for the progressive ideas you have given. Today, we are living in peace, and security is improving. There is satisfaction in our output. The hunger is coming down. Food prices are lowering. We are able to go to the market and do business.
“Our people are looking for results. They are looking for comfort. They are praying for good health. They are looking for a fairer, somebody with heart. It is not about me; it’s about every one of us, and the diversity of Nigeria is being proved by Nyesom Wike.
“Strengthen that diversity to develop prosperity, seeing that we are all members of one family living together in the same house, but we are staying in different rooms. We belong to one family of hope and belief in Nigeria.
“I thank all of you for believing in that. For the cooperation, collaboration, and belief in the positive idea that we can live in peace and harmony with one another, regardless of ethnic and religious diversity and faith. I thank you.”
“Surprisingly, Nyesom Wike is not from the North. He’s not a Hausa man. He’s from the southern part of Nigeria, and his ability to work in the centre of the northern part of Nigeria is yielding fruits. That is a very good reflection of our diversity that we must use for our prosperity.
“I’m just a custodian of your trust. It’s only Almighty Allah that gives power. And he says, ‘If I give it to you, you must use it in the righteous way. You must be humane. You must follow my teachings. And do great things. To show that, I granted you that privilege as a temporary article of faith, and I’m the only one who can take it away from you if you don’t know how to use it,” Tinubu added.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the visit, Wike expressed joy that the president described him as Mr Infrastructure, saying, “I feel very happy that my boss has confidence in me. If your boss, in public, says that you are doing well, that, of course, is an encouragement for you to continue doing the job that you’ve been assigned.
“For us, we’re happy to be identified in this administration, and we’ll continue to do what Abuja people will be happy with. So I’m happy each time Mr President talks about us and tries to say the little we have done; that means that he’s watching, and we will not disappoint him.”
