At Road Project Flag-off, Wike Warns Officials Against Switching Off Their Phones

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday, commenced the construction of a major new Transit Way (N2) designed to link the Central Area with the Wuse District, a project he declared critical to transforming Abuja into a modern city.

The event, which also featured the groundbreaking for two accompanying bridges, was marked by the minister’s stern warning to underperforming officials, demanding 24-hour availability and faster results.

Highlighting the project’s significance within the FCT Administration’s legacy plans, Wike said the administration has many projects to showcase for the third anniversary of President Bola Tinubu and that the newly flagged-off road was one of them.

The minister, who emphasised the indispensability of road infrastructure, laid out his development philosophy in clear terms.

“No development in any city without a good network of roads. When all areas of a city are linked with a good network of roads, then you can talk about it becoming a modern city. Road infrastructure attracts investment,” he said.

He pointed to the upcoming ‘Abuja City Walk’, a project by investors from Dubai, as a direct result of the ongoing “infrastructure revolution” in the capital.

Addressing heads of departments, Wike directed officials in charge of security and health projects to take immediate action.

“Those in charge of health must sit up and know that time waits for nobody. If you don’t know how to be energetic enough to meet up, go and ask those who know how to keep up with the speed at which I work.

“Your phones must be on because I may call you at any time. If your phones are off, it means you are not prepared for the job,” he said.

He was particularly critical of the pace of work on the construction of 12 new police stations in the Territory.

“Director of Security, we are building not less than 12 police stations. Up till now, you have not come to tell me how many are ready. The day I go and find out, that day you will go to the Institute of Policy Studies, so that you will allow another person to do the job.

“Director is not to wear agbada, it is not to wear black cap. The assignment is to ensure that you hand over the police stations for us to have improved security,” he said.

Addressing his critics, Wike said, “When you are doing your work, people may hate you and they may not like the job. All those who hate us are using the roads. All those who hate us will use the water. All those who hate us will use the street lights.

“It is our opportunity to provide for them, so you don’t need to worry yourselves. Indeed, nobody will stop us, that is why they are looking for an opportunity to come closer to us. And because we are very strict, the only way they can come closer to us is to blackmail us.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know the meaning of blackmail. There is no blackmail in our dictionary. The only thing we know in our dictionary is to work, work, work, and work to the satisfaction of our people.”

Earlier, in her remarks, the FCT minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, affirmed that the project marks “another milestone in our collective quest to strengthen connectivity, ease traffic congestion, and promote seamless movement within the Federal Capital Territory.”

She described the project as another testimony to the Renewed Hope Agenda and acknowledged the support of the National Assembly for its instrumental role in making such projects possible.