Nigeria’s FCTA Compensated All Property Owners Affected By Arterial Road Project — Wike
Adedokun Waliyu
3 min read
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Friday, said that the Federal Capital Territory Administration has compensated all property owners who were affected by the construction of the Arterial Road N5.
Wike, who disclosed this while speaking at the inauguration of the first phase of the newly constructed road, also known as Obafemi Awolowo Way, from Life Camp Junction to Ring Road 3 in Abuja, said he insisted on paying the property owners despite claims that they should not be paid because they are non-indigenes.
He said, “I never knew there was a place like this before until they brought the papers for me to present to the BPP and for award by the Federal Executive Council; even when it was awarded, I didn’t know. But with our usual manner of going to know where the projects are, whether what they are doing is in tandem with what we agreed, we had a serious problem here with the communities – of course, payment of compensation.
“It got to a point where this job would have been stopped, where those who were living here were said to be non-indigenes, and therefore don’t deserve compensation. I said that it is not under this administration of President Tinubu, somebody is living here in his house, and you want to bring his house down, and you say you are not going to pay compensation because he is not an indigene. I said no, that is not what we should allow.
“I directed that all of them who have houses here must be paid, and they were paid. And that was how we were able to do this road.”
The minister also disclosed that the second phase of the project would be inaugurated before the end of the year.
According to Wike, the quality of the project shows that President Bola Tinubu has done well.
He, however, said the provision of infrastructure could not be done without the payment of taxes.
“By the time you drive down and see the beauty of the area, you will know that President Tinubu has done well for the Federal Capital Territory, and this is what it requires to support a President who means well for his country.
“Of course, there are challenges; we cannot run away from them. And I can assure everybody here, particularly the Abuja residents, that the kind of development you will see under President Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, at the end of the day, you will attest that, indeed, there are people who mean well for this country,” the minister added.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who represented President Tinubu, said the road represented what could be achieved when vision meets action.
He noted that it reflected the administration’s commitment to delivering modern infrastructure that improves the daily lives of the people.
“This road, named after a man of vision, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, now carries the legacy of forward-thinking leadership into the future of our capital city,” Akume added.
He further stated that the road would ease traffic gridlock around the areas while advising FCT residents to use the road judiciously.
