Federal Capital Territory (FCT), minister, Barrister Nyeson Wike, has said the price of goods will continue to surge if there is no provision of infrastructure.
The minister disclosed this to newsmen after inspection of rehabilitation of 9-kilometre Paikon kore – Ibwa road and Agoma Palace – Radio Nigeria – New Marker road, in Gwagwalada area council.
He was responding to a question that people believe the reforms of President Bola Tinubu are taking too long, and they are not seeing the reforms translate to their everyday lives because the price of commodities is still surging.
Wike commended the area council chairmen and communities for always supporting the FCT Administration’s projects and doing their best within the promises and developmental funds they have.
He said: “If you say that people have said that they have not seen anything, so these people who are jubilating here, are they not part of the people? I have always said that when something is bad, and I know because of our impatience, I agree that we expect a miracle to just happen. Now, take for example, the price of goods is still surging.
“Now, look at this road. If there was no road, why would the price of goods not go high? By the time these roads are completed and the farmers are now going to farm, it will reduce. So these are part of the strategies. Infrastructure is basic to turn around any economy in any part of the world. If they don’t have basic infrastructure, too bad. That is part of the problems we have had in Abuja here, and we are trying to make sure that we create more infrastructure to open up, not just the city but also the rural areas so that the economy will thrive. So that is what I can say.
“Criticism must always be there, and you cannot run away from it. But it is not everything that you have to react to. Let the people see for themselves. But I can tell you, before this administration ends this first tenure, you will see that Nigerians will also say, indeed, things have really changed. Just like you can say that Abuja has changed.
“The joy in the faces of the people here is a testament to the leadership of Mr. Project. What charges do you have with the area council chairmen to complement what you are doing?
“The council chairmen are working in tandem with us. They are supporting whatever we are doing, and I think, too, they are also doing their best within the promises and developmental funds they have. I have seen where most of them have invited me to come and commission some of the projects that have been backed up.
“We don’t expect them to cover this kind of magnitude of project, because they don’t have such resources. But the main thing they are giving us is support to carry out these projects without any protest. You know, sometimes you may be doing projects and the community is not in support, the council chairman is also not in support, they begin to sabotage it, or they begin to create some kind of situations where youths are angry for one reason or the other.”
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