Wike knocks David Mark over FCT roads, defends Tinubu’s record

ABUJA:Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Senate President David Mark over his infrastructure record in office, arguing that the President Bola Tinubu administration had achieved more in road construction within three years than was accomplished during Mark’s years at the helm of national leadership.

Wike made the remarks on Thursday at the commissioning of the Interchange at Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II Junction linking the Jahi and Gwarimpa districts in Abuja, where President Tinubu was represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The minister’s remarks were triggered by recent criticisms from the African Democratic Congress ADC, which he said had nonetheless conceded the administration’s achievements in road infrastructure.

“African Democratic Congress has conceded that in terms of road infrastructure, Mr. President has done very, very well. Without roads, you cannot go to hospital, you cannot go to school, and you cannot go to farm. Roads are the bedrock of development in any society”, he said.

Turning his attention to Mark, whom he identified as chairman of a faction of the ADC, Wike questioned the former Senate President’s record on infrastructure delivery during his eight years in office, citing the Akwanga-Makurdi road as a project awarded under Mark’s watch that remained in deplorable condition throughout his tenure.

“The poor people could not afford to travel to Makurdi because there was no road. But David Mark, as Senate President then, was flying helicopters.

“Today, because of the intervention of this administration, people can drive freely to Makurdi and Otukpo. The same David Mark, who once relied on helicopters, can now travel by road too”, said Wike.

The minister argued that the Tinubu administration had demonstrated what could be achieved through political will and commitment to continuity in governance, noting that the Jahi-Gwarinpa interchange project commissioned on Thursday was awarded before the current administration took office but had received no mobilisation or meaningful progress until the present government intervened.

“One of the problems of development in Nigeria is that new administrations often abandon projects initiated by their predecessors. But President Tinubu has shown that government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people, regardless of who awarded them,” he said.

Wike disclosed that residents of the area had long doubted the project would ever be completed, describing its delivery as a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of the Federal Capital Territory.

He also rejected claims that the administration’s development efforts were limited to road construction, pointing to investments in water infrastructure across FCT satellite towns. He recalled the recent commissioning of water supply projects in Karu and announced that a similar project in Bwari would be inaugurated on July 14.

“It is not correct to say we are only doing roads. In Karu, we commissioned water supply infrastructure, and by July 14 we will commission another major water project in Bwari. These are projects designed to improve the lives of ordinary people,” he said.

Wike challenged critics to point to comparable investments in satellite towns under previous administrations, insisting that the Renewed Hope Agenda was delivering tangible benefits across the territory.