Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to name two roads in Guzape District after the late Professor Chinua Achebe and J. P Clark.
Achebe was a novelist, poet and a central figure of modern African literature, while Clark was a poet and playwright.
Wike made the request at the weekend, during the inauguration of Guzape Lot II Engineering Infrastructure by Tinubu, to celebrate his one year in office.
“I want to appeal to you, just like what you did last time when you approved the naming of Arterial N-20 Road after Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
“There are a lot of Nigerians who also have in one way, or the other, made their own contributions, particularly in literary works.
“So many of them have made Nigeria proud. People like Achebe and Clark.
“Your Excellency, I want to appeal to you to name this road after Achebe and another road within the same district after Clark”, he said.
The minister described Guzape as one of the biggest districts in the FCT and fast developing.
He explained that the contract was awarded in 2003 at N14 billion during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and divided into two lots.
He said Lot I was awarded to Dantata and Sawoe, while Lot II was awarded to Gilmor Engineering, adding that the contract was revised to over N18 billion in the third week of May 2023.
Wike noted that Dantata and Sawoe had left the site a long time ago until the Tinubu administration came on board, mobilised them back to site and work is currently ongoing.
For the completed Lot II, the minister said he had inspected the execution of the project over 15 times to ensure its timely delivery.
He disclosed that the project was delivered in spite of litigations by some residents to stop the contractor from blasting rocks to give way for road construction in the district.
He also said that the ongoing work at Guzape Diplomatic Zone would soon be completed.
FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahoud, commended President Tinubu for supporting the provision of infrastructure to Guzape and other districts.
The infrastructure, according to Mahmoud, would enhance the quality of life and benefit generations to come.
“The sustainable growth and development of any city relies heavily on infrastructure”, she said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Shehu Ahmad, said the entire Guzape District covered an area of about 1,070 hectares.
Ahmad explained that Lot I, being executed by Dantata and Sawoe, covered an area of 450 hectares, while Lot II being successfully executed by Gilmor Engineering covered 620 hectares.
He explained that out of the 1,074 total hectares, about 129 hectares have been encumbered by village settlement, of which about 66 fall within the area executed by Gilmor Engineering.
He said the scope of work involves the provision of power supply including a 33/11 mini-injection substation to power the district one each for Lot I and Lot II.
He added that other engineering infrastructure are a mini sewage treatment plant, transformers and street light poles that were erected and powered.
“The district is meant to provide services to about 1,017 plots of various usage and sizes – residential, commercial, as well as parks and recreation.
“The lot II we are inaugurating today covers 561 plots out of the 1,017 plots
“Lot II has 31.3 kilometers network of roads, out of the 73 kilometres in the entire district, while the one being executed by Dantata and Sawoe is about 30 kilometres.
“The remaining ones were encumbered by village obstruction areas and attention is being given by Wike to hasten the compensation and resettlement of the village obstruction areas”, he said. NAN
