President Bola Tinubu has advised intended users of the newly renovated magnificent edifice, International Conference Centre (ICC), to listen to Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Barri. Nyesom Wike, to pay before they would be granted permission to access the place, saying in American slang, “If you wanna use this place you gonna pay for it”.
The President disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, during the inauguration of the renovated ICC, on day one of the 17-day inauguration of infrastructure projects executed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the watch of Barr. Nyesom Wike as FCT Minister, billed for inauguration to mark the President’s second anniversary.
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Tinubu who asked Wike not to pay attention to busybodies and bystanders whatever they say, advised him to continue his good work, calling the Minister a transformational leader.
He said: “I am greatly honoured and happy to be here to reopen this International Conference Centre as part of our determined efforts to change the way we do things, to reflect us as people of quality, people of character, people of determination, people of great spirit. That is who we are and I am glad that you, Nyesom Wike, are reflecting that.
“Don’t pay attention to the busybodies and bystanders. Whatever they say, continue to do your good work. You are a transformational leader, you have the foresight, the vision, and the determination to succeed. Thank you very much.
“When I attended the conference of ECOWAS Parliament here, it was a very dirty, disorganised, uninhabitable environment. Aside from the side talk I had with the Senate President, I turned to Wike and said this conference centre is not reflecting who we are. Have we sunk this low? He said no but bear with us, we will do whatever we can do to transform the place. You won’t come back to find it in a dilapidated state and today I am very happy.
“Whatever might be wrong today is a sign of the good thing that we are correcting, we are reflecting, renewing our hope, and believing in ourselves in what we can do, what we can be – a great nation on earth.
“Through the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are determined to renew infrastructure across the key sectors of this country – transportation, health care, education, energy, and urban development.
“Because you understand that modern infrastructure is the backbone of a thriving economy in an inclusive and progressive society. The International Conference Centre is part of our country’s larger vision to become a hub for regional diplomacy, continental trade discussions, global partnership, and many more thoughtful, well-outlined goals that reflect our ‘Nigeria First’.
“You must obey what the landlord said. If you wanna use this place you gonna pay for it”.
Earlier, the FCT Minister, Barri. Nyesom Wike, has renamed the International Conference Centre as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
The Minister also disclosed that other halls in the facility had been renamed after Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kekere-Ekun.
“Today, this Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre can stand any other International Conference Centre. And in doing that, because the National Assembly has also supported us, I have told you that as we were inspecting the project, at the back, we have two halls. We have to remember those who have also supported the FCT. The National Assembly is one such arm of government.
“So we have named one hall Tajudeen Abbas hall, we have named Godswill Akpabio hall, and your Vice President, we have named one of these halls after the Vice President, and then the CJN, we have also named one of the halls after the CJN. And these are the three arms of the government, working together.
“So I just said since it is a property under you, and the building is under you, then, it should have small names on those halls, but it should be under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre,” he said.
“It is important for the public to understand and to know why today, this is called the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre. This Conference Centre was built in 1991 under the military government. Since that time, nothing has happened to this International Conference Centre.
“Wike also ascribed the completion of the rehabilitated conference centre to the leadership of President Tinubu, stating, “Within eight months Mr President, this is what we have. And I agree that without your leadership, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
The Minister also stated that any ministries or government agencies willing to use the Conference Centre will be made to pay going forward, to ensure the proper maintenance of the ICC.
“How do we sustain this? I want to let everybody know, whether you’re a Ministry, whether you’re an agency, you want to use this, you have to pay something. That’s the only way it can be sustained. Nothing like my brother, my sister is going to have a wedding. If you want to use a place like this, such a beautiful place, then you must drop something,” he said.
On his part, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, hailed the President for his transformation, and commended the FCT Minister and his Minister of State, for delivering on the project.
He said: “Mr. President, I will leave it to you to say your observation. But permit me to commend the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, my dear brother. I don’t know which contractor handled this, but I can imagine it must be the usual. I’m just guessing because I saw their quality when I entered.
“Mr. President, the renovation, rehabilitation, and transformation that we are witnessing in the ICC is what we are bringing to this country, whether people like it or not. The Nigerian Parliament is very proud of you. We are proud of the fact that we do the budgeting, we give the approvals, and you do the execution.
“But you have put on your thinking cap and you are very determined to leave Nigeria better than you met it. It starts from here. I said it before in Lagos, and I will repeat myself, that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and that is the step we are taking here.
“Mr. President, congratulations to you. And I must congratulate the Minister of FCT, the Minister of State, and the entire team for the wisdom of realising that a befitting place like this, after being transformed, should be named after the transformational leader that Nigeria has today, Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.“
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