The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has described as unprecedented, the infrastructural uplift of the nation’s capital, Abuja within three years, declaring that even the harshest critics of the Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, must concede that he has changed the landscape of the territory.
Lokpobiri spoke on Tuesday after joining Wike on an inspection of ongoing projects in the nation’s capital, including the construction of the bridges on the ISEX 2 road, from the Area 1 roundabout to the Games Village, the Southern Parkway linking Oladipo Diya Road with Lokogoma Road, and the S1 road at the Fire Station in Gaduwa.
The road projects are scheduled for commissioning next month and in January next year.
Lokpobiri, who has lived in Abuja for about 19 years, said the pace of work left him stunned. “I never believed in my wildest dream that the roads that were flagged off in July, and we have already seen the level of completion,” he said.
He said he came to Abuja in 2007, when he was elected senator, and has not seen anything like the current level of development in the territory.
“I have been in Abuja for about 19 years now. I came to Abuja in 2007, when I was elected senator ans I have been here, and the level of development we have seen in Abuja is unprecedented. Those of you who are journalists in Abuja can attest to the fact that even if you don’t like the FCT minister, you will give it to him that he will do the infrastructure, that even you too will benefit from,” he said.
The minister said that although he lives at the National Assembly quarters in Apo, only about two kilometres from one of the bridges, he had no idea the project was under construction.
“This morning when I had the privilege of joining him to go around these projects, I was wondering, I said, when did this bridge start? Because I stay in the National Assembly quarters in Apo that is just about maybe two kilometres away, and I never knew that this project was going on. I never even knew that this road is going on,” he said.
He congratulated Wike and President Bola Tinubu, whom he credited with giving the FCT minister the backing needed to deliver.
“I want to tell Nigerians that, look, when somebody is performing, you need to encourage the person. That is the least that you can do. Even if you don’t like him, you will give it to him that he has changed the landscape of Abuja, and it can only get better and better,” he added.
