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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has flagged off the reconstruction and dualisation of the Karu Road, declaring that the project is a clear demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in action.
Wike, who spoke before a large crowd in Karu on Wednesday, assured residents that the ongoing road works and new projects will change the face of the area, which he described not as a satellite town but “a city long deprived of good infrastructure.”
“As far as I’m concerned, Karu is a city. The only problem why it has been called a satellite town is because of the bad roads. Now, the roads will come up as good roads, and this environment will change,” Wike said.
The Minister listed roads earmarked for immediate reconstruction, including Custom Clinic Junction to CBN Quarters Junction, Custom Clinic Junction to EFCC, NIA Quarters Road, Karshi Road, and Primus Hospital Road. He said all will be completed within 10 months and fitted with streetlights.
He commended the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, for persistently pressing for Karu’s development, noting that his passion for the people influenced the decision to prioritize the project.
Wike urged the people to support leaders who “have their interest at heart,” stressing that democracy is about accountability and the delivery of tangible dividends, not political grammar.
“Grammer does not bring projects. It is a relationship with people. What we are talking about is to bring something to the people the dividend of democracy,” he said.
He further charged local contractors to prove their capacity by delivering quality work, warning that the FCTA would not tolerate excuses of weather delays. “If you collect money when it rains, then you must also work when it rains,” he quipped.
The Minister said the project would not only improve mobility but also boost businesses across Karu and its environs, while urging youths to protect the infrastructure and take ownership of the benefits.
“Let Karu be the city everybody should be talking about. Once this road is completed, you can imagine how the businesses and livelihoods here will improve,” Wike stated.
Also speaking, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, stressed the importance of the project to the residents of Karu and its environs.
She emphasized that the project would significantly contribute to the decongestion of traffic linking Karu with other parts of Abuja, adding that it would ensure smoother movement for commuters and goods.
While thanking president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his Renewed Hope Agenda for life-transforming infrastructural projects, Mahmoud also appreciated the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike whose pragmatic leadership and commitment to road infrastructure have given the FCT a new face of progress and modernization.