FCT to Construct 30km Roads in Six Area Councils

•Wike: I’m not a religious bigot

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, has said 30-kilometre roads would be constructed across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He stated this yesterday, when the immediate past Senator that represented FCT in the Senate, Philip Aduda and former Mandate Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, Mr Zakari Dobi, visited him in his office.

Wike, said the 30-kilometre roads, five in each of the six area councils, would be concluded before May 29, 2024, to decentralise development efforts from the city centre to rural communities across the area councils.

He commended the visitors for working as a team irrespective of political party differences to work for the development of the FCT.

Meanwhile, the minister has denied insinuations that his administration was having anathema for the Islamic faith.

He made the rebuttal when he received in courtesy visit, members of the Abuja National Mosque Management Committee, led by its Chairman, the Etsu of Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar.

His said the clarification was in response to the innuendoes that the FCT Administration was promoting policies that negated certain religious alignments.

The minister accused those trying to whip up religious sentiment of mischief, saying they were indulging in that to score some cheap political points. 

He said he had no reason to instigate hate speech against any religious groups, but to support any that has a genuine cause. He urged religious leaders to preach national unity and peaceful coexistence while assuring that FCT would continue to support the maintenance of the National Mosque and the National Christian Centre, given both places of worship have been declared as national monuments.

He also gave the Executive Secretary, Shehu Ahmed Hadi, 24 hours to give the position on the National Mosque and the compensation plan for it.

“No government will hesitate to support the maintenance of a National Monument, be it for Christians or Muslims.

“I want to start from what I was told, that I instructed the demolition of a Mosque in Rivers State when I was a governor. I want you to know that in politics, people will use a lot of things to fight their opponents.

“The Emir of Sokoto is one person I have high regards for, I don’t just see him as an elder brother but like a father. Anything that has to do with the national Mosque, which he is the president, I will always give it support,” Wike said.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Etsu Nupe, urged the minister to support the maintenance project of the National Mosque, which he disclosed had been stalled for some time now.

The traditional ruler also pleaded with Wike to grant the Committee more time to develop plots of land allocated to it by FCTA.