By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Area Council Chairmen of Kuje and Gwagwalada of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT has described the developmental strides of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike has a definitive benchmark and template that need to be emulated in grassroots administration in Nigeria.
The two Area Council Chairmen also said that the performance of the Minister has given local government leaders needed encouragement towards replicate the same within their own jurisdictions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the historic commissioning of the Gwagwalada-Kuje Dual Carriageway, the council bosses revealed how the Minister’s infrastructure blueprint is fundamentally changing the face of local administration.
The Executive Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Mohammed Kasim, explicitly noted that the Minister’s rapid execution of critical projects has effectively redefined local administration expectations.
According to him, the Minister—popularly nicknamed “Mr. Project”—is serving as a nationwide template for performance.
“We see the Honourable Minister—who has rightfully been nicknamed ‘Mr. Project’—as a Messiah for the nation, not just the FCT,” Kasim remarked.
“With projects like this, he is making the country proud and making the FCT a better place to live.
” He is opening up satellite towns and connecting communities everywhere so that everyone feels the true impact of governance.”
Inspired by this pace-setting leadership, Kasim revealed that his own administration is aggressively implementing a comprehensive “7-point agenda” modeled after responsive governance.
According to him, the agenda targets local security, agriculture, health, education, inclusive governance, and targeted skill acquisition for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
When asked if local government headers can truly sustain and match Wike’s operational tempo at the grassroots level, Hon. Kasim gave an uncompromising commitment, stating that inherited institutional challenges would no longer be tolerated as excuses for underperformance.
“Yes, we will do it despite all odds. We assumed office at a time when we inherited a lot of liabilities, but that can never be an excuse for failure.
“By the grace of God, and just as the Minister has charged us, we have a marching order to follow suit. We are committed to delivering the dividends of democracy and sustainable social development to our electorate,” the Gwagwalada Chairman declared.
Speaking in the same vein the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, detailed how the Minister’s work ethic is directly solving age-old local governance failures.
Hon. Shekwolo expressed profound relief over the completion of the dual carriageway, noting that it provides an immediate socioeconomic boost to the council.
“For the first time, traveling from Kuje to the Gwagwalada Area Council will take just 10 to 15 minutes, unlike before when it took more than an hour to get there,” the Kuje Council boss stated.
He further highlighted how the pace-setting project has completely resolved a critical local security vulnerability along the corridor, which had historically plagued local authorities.
“In terms of security, this road used to be incredibly difficult to ply in the past, especially after 6:00 PM.
These days, however, you can travel along this road even up to midnight because streetlights have been installed and the road is completely motorable,” he added, praising the synergy between the FCT Minister and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
By seamlessly connecting satellite towns and demanding equal accountability from area administrators, Wike’s governance style is widely seen as a catalyst forcing a massive administrative awakening across the FCT’s local government architecture.
