Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has warned the incoming chairman of the Kuje Area Council not to leave the people behind once he takes office, and he has promised further development projects for the council.
During his Thursday thank-you visit to Kuje Area Council, Wike made the promise to show his gratitude to voters who supported him in the most recent council elections.
In a speech to the area’s traditional leaders, political figures, and citizens, the minister assured them that the Federal Government will keep funding their projects as a token of appreciation for their support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration’s candidates.
Elected officials, he said, should keep the promises they make to the people, and politics should be a covenant between leaders and the people.
Politics ought to function as an agreement between elected officials and the electorate. This is not the place where our people choose you to lead, and then you just vanish,” Wike remarked.
The minister made it clear that his trip to Kuje was in keeping with President Tinubu’s order that government officials should not take the support of their communities for granted but rather return to them to show appreciation.
He said that important projects demanded by council members had already been provided by the administration.
Wike remembered that traditional rulers had asked for the dualisation of the Kuje Garage Road and the construction of the road from Airport Junction to Kuje during an earlier town hall meeting in Kuje.
He announced that the Garage Road project had been commissioned and finished, and that Arab Contractors, who were in charge of the Airport Road to Kuje project, had returned to the site and were expected to finish it by President Tinubu’s administration’s third anniversary.
In addition to awarding the Garage Road, we have also commissioned it. He also mentioned that the contractor in charge of the Airport Road to Kuje had returned to the site and promised that the road will be prepared for the president’s inauguration on the third anniversary.
Gilmor Engineering Nigeria Limited is building the 16-kilometer Kuje-Gwagwalada road, which Wike said is doing well and might be ready for commissioning by June.
Once the newly elected chairman takes office, he promised people that more projects would begin.
He promised to meet with traditional leaders to determine which of the paths you proposed will be prioritised once the chairman took the oath of office.
Additionally, the minister warned the new council chairman not to put himself above the people once he takes office, emphasising that grassroots leadership necessitates ongoing interaction with locals.
“Chairman, don’t be absent. Lead the home team as the chairman. You never left the house while you were campaigning. Stay with your folks now that you’ve won, Wike admonished.
He continued by saying that individuals are often swayed by wealth and power, and he urged the next chair to keep his humility and dedication to the people’s welfare.
A man can be transformed in an instant by wealth and power. It is my firm belief that you will not forsake your people, he added.
Wike was pleased with the outcome of the Kuje council election, which he said showed the people’s trust in the government.
Before the minister arrived, Abdullahi Sabo, the departing chairman of the Kuje Area Council, expressed gratitude to the people of the area for their composure during and after the elections.
Under Wike’s leadership, progress in the FCT had advanced, he said, and Wike had also brought people together and built bridges.
In order to keep the council moving forward, Sabo said that citizens should back the new administration.
Danladi Samuel Shekwolo, who is now the chairman-elect of the Kuje Area Council, thanked the minister for backing his campaign and promised to bring the benefits of democracy to the people in his speech.
In addition, he pleaded with the minister to think about building important highways that would connect Kuje to nearby areas like Gwagwa, Rubochi, and Kebi in order to stimulate economic activities in the council.
In order to enhance infrastructure and strengthen development in the area council, the chairman-elect promised citizens that his administration will collaborate closely with the FCT Administration.