By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has given more clarification on his impression about the proposed Abuja University of Technology, Abaji, saying he has never denigrated the institution as a glorified secondary school.
The minister who gave the clarification during the flag-off of the 5km Naharati-Angwan Hausawa road project on Tuesday, said the institution was a baby of the FCT and therefore must meet standards of a world class university.
This clarification is coming on the backdrop of claims that the minister had refused giving consideration towards completing the university, describing it as a glorified secondary school.
However, the minister on Tuesday said, “When the Chairman of Abaji requested for the university to be opened this September, I said anything worth doing is worth doing well. That I will prefer to make this university one of the best and not to rush. So I can not call a university a glorified secondary school because it is not yet there. You can’t call something glorified when the thing has not yet started.
“Those who don’t know should know that the university is the baby of the FCT. The president gave me the opportunity to serve as the FCT Minister. I said it would be my joy that it was during my time while I was serving as FCT Minister that this university was open and everybody will be happy that this is what a university should be. I just want to correct that impression that I said the university is a glorified secondary school.”
Meanwhile, the minister has frowned at the practice where files are kept for weeks, slowing down governance in the process.
Wike warned that he would not allow anyone stifle the development of rural communities in the nation’s capital, saying any director who refuses to act on files that he has already approved.
He said; “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.
He added that President Tinubu has mandated him to ensure even development of the councils, adding that all the rural roads being flagged-off would be completed before the end of the year.
Earlier the member representing FCT South in the House of Representative, Hon. Abdulraham Ajiya, had appealed to the FCT Minister to ensure the completion of the Abuja University of Technology, so as to improve access to tertiary education.
Ajiya is optimistic that the institution when fully opetational, will place the area council on the map.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Abaji area council, Hon. Abdullahi Abubakar, said the Naharati-Angwan Hausawa road was deliberately chosen because of its connectivity to other several communities in the area council. He said the road, when completed, will decogest the by-pass, and improve access to markets, schools, healthcare facilities, and other essential services for rural communities.
“This road project will also facilitate the movement of goods and services, fostering economic growth, and supporting agricultural activities.”
