By Sarah NEGEDU
The chairmen of Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils have said the pace of infrastructure delivery under the current administration, has raised the bar for governance at the grassroots, leaving local council administrations with no room for excuses.
The two council bosses, who spoke on the sidelines of the commissioning of the newly constructed seven-kilometre Kuje-Gwagwalada dual carriageway, Phase I, described the road project as a major boost to movement, economic activity and security in the two councils.
According to them, the intervention of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in satellite towns development has created a new benchmark for performance and placed pressure on elected officials at the area council level to deliver visible projects.
Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Kasim Ikwa, said the minister’s aggressive infrastructure push across the FCT had become a model for local government leadership, adding that council chairmen had been handed a clear “marching order” to take development closer to the people.
Ikwa said the newly commissioned road would significantly benefit residents of Gwagwalada, Kuje and other parts of the territory, while also reinforcing the growing expectation that local administrations must begin to match the development momentum now being driven from the FCT Administration.
“By the grace of God, just like he has charged us, we have a marching order to follow suit by giving our electorates the dividend of democracy,” he said.
Describing Wike as a “Messiah” to FCT residents, Ikwa said the minister’s delivery of life-impacting projects was making the country proud and turning the capital territory into a better place to live.
He said the road projects and other infrastructure interventions being executed across the FCT were opening up satellite towns, connecting communities and ensuring that residents in different parts of the territory feel the impact of governance.
“All we can say is, we are grateful, and more grease to his elbow for the determination to make FCT a great city. May God continue to bless him as he sets the pace for us at the local level to follow.
“We shall emulate all his good agendas by the grace of God,” he said.
Ikwa said his administration would pursue a seven-point agenda aimed at transforming Gwagwalada, stressing that despite inheriting liabilities, his government would not hide behind challenges to justify failure.
He said the agenda would focus on security, agriculture, health, education and inclusive governance, among other priorities, as part of efforts to improve service delivery and deepen development at the grassroots.
According to him, his administration also plans to work with traditional institutions to strengthen accountability and transparency, while expanding empowerment opportunities for women, youths and persons with disabilities.
“I planned to work with the traditional institution for accountability and transparency and provide skill acquisition training and empowerment opportunities for both women and youth, including persons with disabilities,” he said.
On his part, Kuje Area Council Chairman, Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, said the road project had already changed the development outlook of both Kuje and Gwagwalada by drastically reducing travel time and making the corridor safer for residents and commuters.
Shekwolo said the project would boost socioeconomic activities in both councils and address a long-standing security concern on the route, which had previously become difficult to ply after dark.
“As you can see, for the first time, traveling from Kuje to Gwagwalada Area Council will take you just 10 to 15 minutes, unlike before where it would take you more than one hour to get to Gwagwalada.
“In terms of the socioeconomy, of course, this area is going to develop and economic activities in Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils will increase.
“The road will also improve security along the road corridor. Before now this road was the most difficult to follow from 6:00 p.m., but now you can follow this road as late as 12:00 midnight because of the security lights,” he said.
The Kuje chairman thanked President Bola Tinubu and Wike for delivering the project, noting that previous administrations had made promises about the road without translating them into action.
