Wike issues warning to directors over delay of rural development projects

Federal Capital Territory (FCT), minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has warned that he would not allow anyone to slow down the development of rural communities in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

The minister said any director who refuses to act on files that he has already approved, is a saboteur, warning directors in the Administration against sitting on files for weeks, saying once he has granted approvals, the bureaucracy should be able to do its due diligence within seven days and ensure the release of funds.

Wike gave the warning on Tuesday in Abuja during the flag-off of the 5-kilometre Naharati-River Ukya-Unguwan Hausawa road in Abaji Area Council of the territory.

The minister said: “I know that you had suffered quite a lot in the past and you want things to change immediately. I want to appeal to you to be patient. I will never associate myself with anything that will not work. As I tell you that things will turn around positively, be assured that they will turn around positively. The decisions taken by Mr President may not materialize immediately but just be calm. You will reap it.

“We had a meeting on Monday with the most senior director and I was telling them that woe unto that director who will keep a file, that I have approved, for weeks. Woe unto you because you are a saboteur. Once I approve, do the needful. You can take a week to do due diligence. You don’t need to take 20 days. The contractors are humans. When the money does not get to them on time, they incur more costs and then they begin to seek variation even though they know that variation is not in my dictionary. So, I need the support of the bureaucracy so that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to the people”, he said.

Wike assured that all the rural roads being flagged off would be completed before the end of the year, noting that President Bola Tinubu has mandated him to ensure even development of the councils.

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“Mr President has mandated me and the Minister of State to see that we come to the Area Councils for you to feel the impact of governance. We have talked about insecurity. If you don’t have good roads can you fight insecurity? One of the ways of fighting insecurity is to provide good roads so that security agencies can chase criminals and apprehend them. If you don’t have good roads you can’t go to the farms. This road also supports agricultural development.

“The president has told us that development should not only be concentrated in the city. One of the reasons for rural-urban migration is access to amenities and when you provide that in the rural areas, people will stay in their areas.

“Insecurity does not know any political party. Hardship does not know who belongs to which party. Therefore the council chairmen owe the people to provide good governance. They have all agreed with us to work with this administration to make sure that our people will not lose out and I want to commend them for that.

“All these projects we are starting will be completed this year. None will get to next year. We must make people have confidence in the government by fulfilling our promises. Be assured that these roads in the six Area Councils will be completed before the year ends. All these we are doing have to do with the 2023 budget. We are going to flag off more roads in the 2024 budget. It is your right. We are not doing it we are helping you. No. Mr President came to you and sought your mandate, that he would touch your lives. He is doing that now”, he added.

Earlier, Chairman of the Council, Abdullahi Abubakar said the road will facilitate the movement of goods and services by supporting agricultural development.

While he called on the people to remain united in their determination to see the project through to completion, he expressed the support of his people for the administration.