President Bola Tinubu says the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is changing for the better under the leadership of Nyesom Wike as its minister, 50 years after its creation.
Tinubu said this in Abuja on Friday night during a special thanksgiving dinner to celebrate the successful inauguration of 31 projects across the FCT in 28 days.
Represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the president commended Wike and his team for their sacrifices in ensuring that the nation’s capital works for everyone.
“Tonight turns out to be the night given to God Almighty. I will thank God for our lives and for the survival of our country many years after. I will also thank God for the residents and indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory.
“Fifty years after Nigeria created the FCT, things changed, things have turned around, and things are getting better.”
He also commended the minister for demonstrating that “leadership is not measured by how loudly one announces plans, but how clearly the people can see the results of the plans.”
He said the FCT belongs to every Nigerian, describing it as a city where unity resides, where diversity meets and where the hope of every citizen finds a common address.
“Every new road here shortens somebody’s journey. Every new bridge connects more than communities; it connects friendship, it connects love, it connects unity, and also connects opportunities for Nigerians.
“Every completed project quietly tells Nigerians that the government can still work when vision meets determination,” he said.
Aliyu Modibbo, a former Minister of the FCT and current Special Adviser to the President on General Duties, Office of the Vice President, said Wike was among the FCT ministers who had performed well.
Modibbo, who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, expressed optimism that Wike would return as FCT minister in Tinubu’s second term, saying, “Four years is not enough to complete what you have started.”
In his remarks, Wike said that when he assumed office as FCT minister in August 2023, he met depressed civil servants with little motivation to drive Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said that he and the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, turned things around by ensuring the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission.
