By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nysome Wike has expressed commitment towards waste management across the capital city.
Wike made this disclosure on Saturday during an inspection tour of the ongoing Wuye and Kuje projects.
He said that the refuse dumps along the airport road and Nyanya-Karshi have been disturbing, but the administration has embarked on removing the dumps from those areas, in addition to extending to other parts of the territory with such problems.
“If you watch what is going on now along the airport road and the Nyanya-Karshi area, it’s been a major concern, but we are already removing all the refuse that has been dumped,” he emphasized.
The minister stated contracts will soon be awarded for refuse disposal, but only to competent contractors and not political contractors.
Wike said that the Kuje road project, expected to be commissioned during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s third year anniversary, will bring succor to road users.
“By the time this road is commissioned, which is not less than 8 lanes, dual carriage, with a 15-20 minute drive, you are already in the city center. And that’s what development is all about.”
“We believe that this will be one of those roads that we inaugurate. To the delight of the residents of Kuje. To the delight of the entire people of Abuja,” he affirmed.
Furthermore, Wike stated that aside from the infrastructural development in the territory, the Light Up Abuja Project is not just to beautify the city but to improve the security of the lives and property of residents. “The Light Up Abuja is not just to beautify the city. It’s also to improve security . The problem we have here is that when an incident happens, we forget that three months ago nothing happened.”
He slams critics, “You will give us, the security agencies, the credit, that we are doing quite a lot to make Abuja safe. And Abuja has been safe, but we do agree something may happen; that does not mean that the place is not safe. Just look at what happened in America, Michigan.”
“I don’t want us to take that to mean that the city is not safe. If there is one safe city in this country, I think it is Abuja, he noted.