News
*NYESOM WIKE AND ABUJA ROADS*
Is’haq Modibbo Kawu
Today is Saturday, May 4th, 2024. I had an early appointment inside the precincts of Aso Villa. I live in the Gudu District of Abuja, so I came out of my residence and took the turn through the Gudu cemetery, and followed the direction towards Asokoro. That was where my “problem” commenced. I hadn’t driven in that direction for several weeks. After a while, I came upon construction workers that early in the morning, and further ahead, I noticed that I was literally heading into a maze. The roads had been opened up in several directions.
I’ve lived in Abuja for 22 years now, and with the surety of a native dweller of the FCT, I instinctively took a right turn and the next thing was that I found myself by the A-Y-A junction. Well, all was not lost, I thought to myself. I followed the road past the ECOWAS Secretariat, and further down, the road had been blocked! I turned round and made for A-Y-A again and took the under bridge turn, again with the false assurance that I would be led to the turn going into the presidential residence. And for the umpteenth time, I missed the turn. That was when I decided to consult the satellite navigation system; unfortunately, I missed the turn which I was directed to ply and I went further on the road till I found the older network of roads and I could conveniently orient myself in the proper direction. I arrived late to my destination but not much damage had been done in respect of my appointment.
Believe me, Abuja is changing in a lot of ways. But the most poignant and standout expression of the changes must be the incredible amount of work that’s been done on the road network since the commencement of the Tinubu administration. All over the city, the change is enveloping residents, and it is one aspect of infrastructural development that we can relate with.
My youngest kid attends a boarding school that is located in a serene location of the city. The drawback was the road leading to the school. Then Nyesom Wike happened as our FCT Minister, and he made a vow to revive the Abuja railways system. One of the problems associated with the light railway system was the absence of link roads into the city. My child’s school is located close to one of the railway stations. During one of the visiting days, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the access road that Nyesom Wike promised early in the life of the administration was already opened up. As we noted, that area of Abuja won’t be the same again. Property would appreciate, and a lot more commercial engagements would surface. Change indeed has come, and it is all around us.
When President Tinubu appointed Nyesom Wike as Minister of the FCT, there was quite some surprise about his choice for the position. Wike is the typically cantankerous politico, one that cannot live outside of the cloak-and-dagger proclivity associated with the most deadly province of Nigerian politics. He has lived through and carries the most brutal scars from the peculiar complexities of South-South politics in general, and its local manifestations in Rivers State in particular. Controversy has been his first nature. The question was, “How well could he make the transition into the different calculations of Abuja politics”?
As for immersion in the pits of the local politics of his state, Nyesom Wike is still the gladiator. He is sharply administering jabs and making desperate efforts to own his corner. On the opposite side, he faces a very formidable array of opponents, ready to cut him to size, if not to pieces! But I am not too sure that there’s the need for the onlookers to pity either Wike or his adversaries. That’s the politics that built and fortified each one of them. In the long run, they would either fight to finish, and one side is completely disabled; subdued; or cut to pieces! Time will surely tell.
But back in Abuja, Nyesom Wike is living up to the billing as a minister, and the good work that he is doing must be admired. That’s not without its controversies. But surely, can we ever build without controversy? The last FCT Minister that was worth the name and able to impact on the general state of our capital city was Nasir El-Rufai. It’s looking like Nyesom Wike is trying to prove a point too. The incredible amount of work being done on the roads is testimony to his determination. I think he is earning plaudits that the Tinubu administration can be very proud of.
In the lead to the 2023 general elections, I was part of a team that conducted pre-election training for members of the Nigerian police in the six geopolitical zones of the country. We spent a few days training at the counter-terrorism school outside of Port Harcourt, but lodged in a hotel within the city. It offered an opportunity to behold the work that had been completed and those still under construction, especially with the flyovers in the Garden City.
Against the backdrop of what he had done in the past in his home state, it probably shouldn’t have surprised us that within a year, Wike is burning his imprimatur on the roads of Abuja. We are certainly enroute to a much better federal capital. Over the previous eight years, the city went through a peculiar form of inertia driven by the lamentable incompetence at the helm of its affairs. Nyesom Wike is showing that a year can truly make a difference!
Yes the man seems cut out of the political cloth of controversy. He is the ultimate show man and a ruthless political operator. Wike is a master of political communication and he has the annoying ability to get on the political nerves of his opponents. He attracts controversy and political opprobrium the way bees are attracted to nectar. But give it to him; he knows how to fix roads and he is doing a lovely job with the roads of the Federal Capital Territory. A few weeks to the first anniversary, the Tinubu administration can be very happy about the changes enveloping Abuja, and I think the president will give Nyesom Wike a very firm handshake for his efforts.
Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, PhD., FNGE*; is Broadcaster, Journalist, and a Political Scientist.
kawumodibbo@yahoo.com
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*DID YOU KNOW?*
* Pelé’s record as the FIFA World Cup all-time youngest goalscorer (17 years, 239 days) remains untouched.
* Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester is the most expensive book ever purchased, bought by Bill Gates at an auction for a staggering $30.8 million.
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Buhari gave his all to Nigeria — Tinubu
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*TODAY IN HISTORY*
* On this day in 2016, a terrorist attack in Nice, France killed 85 and injured more than 300 people. The attack took place during Bastille Day Celebrations, when a 19-tonne truck was driven into the crowd. The attacker was eventually shot by the police.
* On this day in 1957, first female parliamentarian in the Arab world was elected to office. Egyptian Rawya Ateya became the first woman to be elected to the National Assembly.
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Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. – Carl Sagan
Good morning
The self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, says he borrowed the N400 million to secured the job at the presidency.
Adeniyi made this revelation on Monday during zoom interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.
He said his creditors have reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He described the way some actors in government taking the matter as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing’, asking how only him could manoeuvre the entire Federal Government system.
“I borrowed this money, the N400 million, to pay for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed the money from have reported me to the EFCC to refund it,” he said.
When asked to react to the report that there is a United States lobbying firm helping him to seek an asylum, Adeniyi said, “I read it the way you read it.”
News
May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has beckoned on all his loyalists to support All Progressives Congress APC candidates after the party formally endorsed all Edo State candidates.
This was contained in a statement he personally signed encouraging his loyalists in Edo South to throw their weights behind all APC candidates.
Hear him:
“Following wide-ranging consultations with our leaders, party members, supporters, women, youths, and well-wishers across Edo South, Nigeria, and the diaspora, I address you today(Monday ) with profound gratitude, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of our great party.
“The APC Edo South Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026 has come to a close. Our party has completed its democratic process, and a candidate has emerged. I accept the decision of our party in good faith and appeal to all our members, followers and friends to do same.
“The All Progressives Congress is greater than any individual ambition. It is a platform built on service, sacrifice, discipline, and our shared commitment to a better future for our people. Political contests may test our preferences, but they must never diminish our common purpose.
To every supporter, coordinator, volunteer, grassroots mobiliser, and everyone who stood with us throughout this journey, I offer my heartfelt appreciation. Your loyalty, sacrifices, encouragement, and prayers have been a constant source of strength. I remain deeply grateful for your confidence and steadfast support.
I wish to specially thank our brothers and sisters in the diaspora across party lines for the overwhelming support they gave my senatorial bid and assure them of my continous commitment to the development and progress of our district. I urge every one of you to remain peaceful, reject division, and continue to uphold the values that have always defined our people.
Now is the time to reconcile, close ranks, and focus on the greater task before us. Our collective responsibility to serve the people of Edo South is far greater than any individual aspiration. As we move forward, I remain committed to working with our leaders, stakeholders, and party faithfuls to strengthen the APC, secure victory in the general election, and advance the development and well-being of Edo South Senatorial District.
The contest is behind us. The future is before us. Let us move forward with one resolve, and one commitment- to build a stronger APC and a more prosperous Edo South.
Thank you for your prayers, your loyalty, and your unwavering support throughout this journey.
History will not remember the contest we fought; it will remember the future we built together. Let us unite. Let us serve. Let us win for the APC, for Edo South and for the people of Edo State.
God bless the All Progressives Congress. God bless Edo South Senatorial District. God bless Edo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Oba gha to kpere, ise
READ today’s newspaper headlines,14/07/2026
PFIPC scandal: ‘I borrowed N400 million to secure the appointment’ – Adeyemi Adeniyi
May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu
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