The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has promised additional infrastructure projects for residents of Kuje Area Council and pledged to grant Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for ancestral lands belonging to indigenous communities.
Wike made the pledge during a thank-you visit to Kuje on Thursday as part of his ongoing tour of Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory following the recent council elections.
According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Press in the Office of the Minister, Rabi Musa Umar, the visit was undertaken on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appreciate traditional rulers and residents for their support during the elections.
Addressing stakeholders at the Kuje Town Hall, the minister said the President directed him to return to the Area Councils to personally thank the people for voting for candidates who support the administration’s agenda.
“Mr. President has directed me not to take your support for granted, to make sure I go back to all Area Councils in the FCT to tell the traditional rulers and leaders that he appreciates you,” Wike said.
Responding to requests from the Chairman-elect of the council, Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, for additional road projects, Wike assured residents that more development projects would be executed in the area.
He explained that after the swearing-in of the newly elected chairmen in June, the FCT Administration would convene a stakeholders’ meeting to prioritise key projects for implementation.
“I am very interested in Kuje, and because Kuje people have done it for us, we will do it for you,” the minister added, describing politics as a social contract between the government and the people.
Wike also highlighted ongoing infrastructure development in the council, including the completed dualisation of the Garage Junction–LEA Secretariat road. He added that contractors had been mobilised back to site for the previously abandoned Airport Road linking Kuje to Abuja, noting that the project would likely be inaugurated during the President’s third anniversary in office.
The minister further disclosed that the 17-kilometre Kuje–Gwagwalada road being handled by Gilmor Engineering was progressing rapidly and could also be ready for commissioning in June.
In what he described as a major policy shift, Wike reiterated his commitment to reforming land ownership for FCT indigenes by issuing Certificates of Occupancy for their ancestral lands.
“I’m going to change the pattern of land ownership. This time around, I’m going to be signing C of Os for you to also own properties here because I understand the challenges,” he said.
Wike also cautioned the chairman-elect against abandoning the people after assuming office.
“When you were campaigning, you were always at home. Now that the result has come, don’t be a runaway chairman. Continue to listen to your people,” he advised.
In his remarks, the outgoing Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo, commended the minister for appreciating the people of Kuje after the election, describing him as a bridge-builder in Nigerian politics.
The traditional ruler of Kuje, Haruna Jibrin Tanko, also expressed appreciation for the ongoing projects in the council but appealed for more development, including the construction of the Kuje–Abaji road.
He also lamented the lack of pipe-borne water in the area despite its proximity to Abuja Municipal Area Council, noting that residents still rely largely on wells and boreholes for water supply.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman-elect, Shekwolo, thanked the minister and residents for their support and pledged to work with the FCT Administration under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.
He also requested the construction of three additional roads — Gaube to Kuje, Kuje to Rubochi, and Kuje to Kabi — saying the projects would boost economic activities and improve connectivity within the council.
About The Author
