Abuja: The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, has urged residents of the territory to take ownership of public infrastructure built in their communities. Wike, who made the call after he inspected some ongoing projects in satellite towns, also urged the residents to protect the public infrastructure against vandals.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, some of the projects inspected by the minister included the completed Market and Palace Road in Gwagwalada, the completed 15-kilometre A2 to Pai, and the ongoing 15.4-kilometre Pai to Gumani in Kwali Area Council. The minister also reviewed the ongoing dualisation of Ushafa to Military Checkpoint and War College Roads in Bwari Area Council.
The minister highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has provided the infrastructure needed by the FCT residents, emphasizing the importance of residents taking ownership for sustainability. He advised against vandalism and noted that the government had invested significant resources to provide these facilities to improve the residents’ lives.
Wike stated, “Take for example, we have provided streetlights; the citizens can own them by securing the streetlights. Government cannot do everything. While we have security agencies, we can also be of help to the security agencies by providing useful information.”
He expressed concern over potential vandalism, saying, “It will be disturbing that I will come back here tomorrow, and you hear that one of the poles has been vandalised and the wires have been taken away. If we own these facilities in our community, it will not happen.”
Wike stressed that residents must protect public properties for their benefit and to enable the government to continue offering more to their communities. He pointed out that the residents had been requesting the government to reconstruct the Ushafa and War College roads.
“Now that the government has done its own part to make their life meaningful, they should also help the government by making sure they protect what has been provided,” the minister concluded.
