The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu will on Tuesday commence the commissioning of major infrastructure projects across Abuja as part of activities marking his third anniversary in office.
Wike made the disclosure on Monday while addressing journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing and completed projects in the nation’s capital.
According to him, the President will inaugurate the second phase of the Outer Southern Expressway, OSEX, main carriageways, which he said has been fully completed.
“Tomorrow, the President will start the commissioning of the OSEX road, which was the first place we visited this morning,” Wike said.
The minister noted that the commissioning exercise would continue on Wednesday with the inauguration of Arterial Road N5 in Life Camp and on Thursday with the dualised Highway 105, also known as the Airport–Kuje Road.
He stated that all three projects had been completed and were ready for inauguration.
“These three projects are one hundred percent complete and ready for commissioning. What is important to us is that we have been able to achieve the timeline, and I commend the various contractors that are involved for keeping to their promises,” he said.
Wike further revealed that Tinubu would also commission projects in satellite towns within the Area Councils, describing the move as part of efforts to extend development to rural communities across the FCT.
He attributed the successful execution of the projects to the support and commitment of the President.
“The credit must go to Mr President, who has given that directive and support for us to go this far,” Wike said.
“One of the things about leadership is the will to continue with projects that may not have been initiated by you, but you continue and complete those projects.”
Speaking on the completed FCT bus terminals yet to commence operations, the minister appealed to residents to exercise patience, explaining that the facilities must go through the required procurement and Public-Private Partnership, PPP, procedures before they can be handed over for management.
“For you to give a private individual to run a government facility, it has to pass through a procurement process,” he said.
“Government process is not easy; bureaucracy is involved, and once you have achieved that, be patient. The person going to manage the facility has pleaded with us that he is assembling the buses and the taxis to ensure that it takes off smoothly.”
