Wike Resumes, Vows to Make Abuja One of World’s Best Cities

. Charges security to flush out criminals from nation’s capital

Olawale Ajimotokan Abuja

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has declared he has the mandate of President Bola Tinubu to transform Abuja into one of the best cities in the world within a very short time.

He made the disclosure Monday on his maiden chart with the media after he was inaugurated by the President.

Wike, who was accompanied by the FCT Minister of State, Dr  Mariya Mahmoud said that many people had complained that the FCT had derailed from the vision envisaged by its founding fathers and needed urgent sanitization.

He said he had the backing of the President to sanitise the FCT regardless of whose ox is gored.

“It is not going to be business as usual. So many people have complained that the FCT has lost the sense for which it was established by its founding fathers. We have to make the FCT one of the best cities in the world. This is one of the things we want to do in the short, medium and long terms.

“Abuja supposed to be one of the safest places in the world. The issue of security must be tackled and we are ready to provide all the necessary logistics for the security agencies to do their work. I already know the problems from Rivers where I came from. Our duty is to provide the tools to support the security agencies. After that we won’t tolerate any excuses. If they can’t safeguard the place then we will continue to have problems.  The Police Commissioner must identify all the hotspots in the FCT and treat those who steal manholes as armed robbers. I don’t want to fail Mr President for having the confidence by appointing a person from the opposition like me as a minister,” Wike said.

The former Governor of River State decried poor sanitation in Abuja and indiscriminate setting up of markets in every nook and cranny of the nation’s capital. He vowed that the administration would not tolerate such practice as it breads insecurity.

“We can’t have everywhere as motor parks and bus stops. I don’t care who you are and where you come from. What I care about is the reordering of the city. All those people violating the Abuja Masterplan should also be wary. If you develop where are you are not supposed to, the house will be pulled down no matter who you are. We must reclaim the green area and deal decisively with land racketing and land speculation.

“I will not be tired to revoke land belonging to speculators. I will do that and heaven will not fall. Government will also take over uncompleted buildings defacing the FCT because they are breading criminality. We will not allow cattle to indiscriminately roam inside the city. We will talk with the herdsmen. They can breed outside the city but not inside. Motorcycles and Keke Napep can’t take over the city,” Wike said.

He vowed to step on toes to sanitise the FCT and stop revenue leakage because funding is required to provide infrastructure and resuscitate the parks.

The minister assured FCT residents that they will see changes in the next six months saying no new project will be executed for more than one year by his administration.