By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned against the indiscriminate naming of streets in Abuja, insisting that such honours must be reserved for individuals who have made meaningful contributions to the city’s development.
Wike gave the warning on Wednesday during the flag-off of road projects covering Guzape District Lots 1 and 2 in Cadastral Zone A09, and the adjoining AIT neighbourhood in Asokoro.
The Minister expressed displeasure over the practice of naming major city roads after people who pay fees, without any record of civic or developmental impact.
“We cannot be doing roads, putting infrastructure, and then you wake up in the morning to see names already placed on them. I don’t know who writes to you, and before I wake up, you name the streets of the roads we are constructing, roads we are putting money into.
“Put your street names where you do roads. I mean, it is very, very funny. You wake up, when somebody writes to you and pays you money, before you know it, it’s Dr. so so Street or Professor so so Street, or Bishop so so Street, and Madam so so Street, in a road we are suffering, and looking for money to provide infrastructure. Better go and refund them their money,” he said.
Wike directed that such arbitrary naming should henceforth be restricted to satellite towns, not the city centre.
“We have to name streets after those who have contributed to the development of the area. You don’t just wake up because somebody has N2 million and pays you, then you name a street after him. That is not possible. Go to Ketti-Kabusa, go to Kabusa-Takushara, go to Pai-Gomani, and put it there. But in the city, government must know whom you are naming the street after,” he warned.
The Minister stated that his administration’s emphasis remains on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said is focused on turning Abuja into a model city with modern infrastructure.
“We’ll continue to provide basic infrastructure and do all we can to ensure that Abuja takes a different look to a city that can compete with others around the world,” he said.
Wike tied the renewed infrastructural drive to the Tinubu administration’s commitment to restoring Nigerians’ faith in government.
“Mr. President has promised all of us, not only those in Abuja, that there will be a difference. That is the essence of the Renewed Hope Agenda. If things were good, we wouldn’t have had a Renewed Hope Agenda. But because things were bad, there was a need to rekindle the hope of Nigerians. We are here to bring back that hope,” he stated.
He also linked Abuja’s infrastructure renewal to the need for citizens to fulfil their civic responsibilities.
“Residents must pay their taxes so that government can continue to deliver quality infrastructure,” he added.
Wike further highlighted ongoing efforts to rehabilitate schools across the six area councils, directing the Mandate Secretary for Education to publish a digital record of completed and ongoing projects.
“I have told the Mandate Secretary for Education to prepare, in electronic form, area council by area council, school by school, from August 2023 till date, how many schools have been rehabilitated, completed, ongoing, or about to be flagged off. Let Nigerians see and challenge us if it’s not true. This is Operation Show Your Report Card,” he said.
He said 107 schools were captured under the current rehabilitation plan, with some already completed and others ongoing, adding that no sector of the FCT will be left untouched.
Earlier, Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to modernising Abuja’s infrastructure.
Mahmoud said the road projects will not only open up more areas for development but also enhance connectivity, reduce travel time, and ease congestion on adjoining routes.
She thanked the National Assembly for its legislative support and funding approvals and commended Wike for his leadership and vision in driving infrastructure renewal across the FCT.
