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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday declared that the ongoing transformation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is a reflection of his administration’s broader vision for Nigeria, promising sustained investments in cities, satellite towns and rural communities to deliver the dividends of good governance across the country.

The President made the declaration while commissioning Collector Road C01 and a bridge linking the Body of Benchers, Nile University and Baze University in Abuja’s Institution and Research District, describing the project as another fulfilled promise under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu said the completion of the road underscored his administration’s commitment to translating campaign promises into tangible projects.

“When we came into office, we made a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people. We promised not to allow governance to become a series of abandoned dreams and half-hearted efforts. We promised Renewed Hope.

“And today, as we stand on this newly constructed Collector Road C01, complete with its bridge, we are not just looking at the physical road; we are looking at a promise kept,” the President said.

He disclosed that the extension of the corridor toward RR III and other parts of Abuja had already been flagged off, adding that the project would integrate the Institution and Research District into the capital city’s wider road network.

According to him, the expanded connectivity will reduce travel time, eliminate traffic bottlenecks and strengthen links between educational institutions, residential communities and commercial centres.

“One road becomes a system. That is how connectivity scales,” he said.

Tinubu noted that the Institution and Research District was conceived in the Abuja Master Plan as the intellectual hub of the nation’s capital but had suffered years of infrastructure deficits that hampered access to key institutions, including the Body of Benchers, Nile University and Baze University.

Recalling complaints raised by the Body of Benchers during the Nigerian Law School Call to Bar ceremony last year, the President said his administration responded swiftly by approving the project through emergency procurement.

“When the Body of Benchers cried out to us during the Nigeria Law School Call to Bar ceremony last year for relief from traffic gridlock and lack of access, we listened.

“I told my Minister, the ‘Mr. Project’ of our time, Nyesom Wike, ‘We cannot have the legal luminaries of our nation navigating potholes to train our future advocates. We cannot have students arriving late to lectures because of a lack of a simple bridge.’

“We did not just talk about it. We approved it under emergency procurement. And today, just months later, here we are,” he said.

Tinubu said the project had restored ease of movement, improved safety and created a more conducive environment for academic and professional institutions to flourish.

He added that the construction had generated hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, describing infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth.

“Infrastructure is the greatest enabler of economic prosperity. When you build roads, you open up districts. When you open up districts, you invite investment. And when investment comes, Nigeria grows,” he said.

The President commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as his commitment to delivering projects across the territory.

“You have proven once again that when you are given a job, you do not sleep until it is done. This marathon of project commissioning across the FCT is a clear testament that this administration is firmly in action mode,” he said.

Tinubu urged the management, students and staff of Nile University and Baze University, as well as the Body of Benchers and residents of the district, to protect the infrastructure.

“This road belongs to you. Protect it. Cherish it. Let it serve as a daily reminder that your government believes in your future and is committed to building the infrastructure that will carry your dreams forward,” he said.

He reaffirmed that the administration would continue investing in infrastructure nationwide.

“This administration will not stop. We will continue to invest in our cities, our satellite towns and our rural communities because every Nigerian deserves the dividends of good governance.

“The transformation of Abuja is a microcosm of the transformation we are bringing to the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Tinubu added.

Earlier, FCT Minister Barr Nyesom Wike thanked the President for the support that has enabled the FCT Administration to execute multiple infrastructure projects across the territory.

He attributed the rapid pace of project delivery to Tinubu’s decision to remove the FCT Administration from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), thereby improving access to resources.

“We thank you for your support. We thank you for the resources made available by removing us from the TSA. That’s why today we are having so many projects to be commissioned,” Wike said.

The minister noted that the road project was part of the administration’s commitment to ensuring balanced infrastructure development across all districts of the Federal Capital Territory.

“Every district will receive the attention of the present government. We have gone round so many districts, both in the city and the satellite towns. Today, we are here to commission this important project,” he said.

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Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, wife of ex- Kaduna State Governor, has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that her husband does not deserve the treatment he is currently receiving.

Recalling the role he played in the buildup to the 2023 presidential election, the politician’s wife demanded fair treatment for the former governor.

Hajia Asiya, who was flanked by El-Rufai’s other wife, Aichatou, was reacting to the arrest of her husband’s personnel physician, Prof Bello Abubakar, as confirmed by the ICPC on Tuesday.

The wife also alleged that her husband, who she said was diagnosed of High Blood Pressure and High Blood Sugar level, was denied access to medical treatment.

Speaking with newsmen at her residence in Abuja, Asiya El-Rufai said the family was not asking the President to interfere with the judicial process or halt the prosecution of El-Rufai, but to ensure that he enjoys the constitutional rights available to every Nigerian, including access to medical care, family members, lawyers and bail on reasonable terms.

“Mr. President Sir, I campaigned for you. I stood up and went to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State for you. My husband stood by your side. Is this what our family deserves?” she asked.

“The ball is in your court, Mr. President. All these can stop if you say a word. We believe that you are a father and we know you can empathise.

“Please let him go free. I am not asking you to tell them not to prosecute him, but we are asking you to allow him the basic human rights that the Constitution you swore to uphold and defend guarantees. Let them give him the bail that he can afford. If he is guilty, let the court decide; if he is innocent, let the court decide.”

She alleged that El-Rufai’s continued detention and denial of access to his doctors and relatives had left the family traumatised.

“We, the family, are traumatised. We live in constant fear that we will wake up and hear some bad news,” she said.

Describing the situation as psychological pressure on both her husband and the family, she added: “I honestly think that what they are doing is more about psychological warfare against Malam and against his family. If they humiliate us, dehumanise us and put us in constant fear, they feel that affects Malam.”

Asiya also questioned the reported decision to deny El-Rufai’s personal physician access to him.

“We were told that orders from ‘above’ said Professor Bello Abubakar cannot have access to anybody for 24 hours. Who is the ‘above’?” she asked.

She further alleged that El-Rufai had been denied regular access to his personal doctors, while visits by relatives had become increasingly restricted.

The woman also expressed concern over a medical report purportedly issued by the National Hospital, Abuja, saying questions surrounding the document’s authenticity and the circumstances under which it was issued should be properly investigated through the consultant whose name appeared on it.

According to the family, the restrictions have made it difficult for the former governor to adequately prepare his defence.

“We do not shy away from defending ourselves, but we want a fair trial. We want an opportunity to be heard. Malam cannot adequately prepare for his defence while he remains in custody and has limited access to his lawyers.”

“We are only asking that he be given the basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Let him be granted bail on reasonable terms. If he is guilty, let the court decide. If he is innocent, let the court also decide,” she said.

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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the alleged inclusion of a non-existent government agency, the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), in the 2026 Appropriation Framework, amid claims that the body has no legal basis for its existence.

The House also set up an ad hoc committee to unravel how the agency allegedly found its way into the federal budget despite lacking an Act of the National Assembly establishing it.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Yusuf Gagdi during Wednesday’s plenary.

Opening the debate, Gagdi told lawmakers that records available to the National Assembly showed there was no law creating the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, even though the organisation reportedly operated from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja between November 2024 and October 2025 and dealt with several government institutions.

He noted that the Federal Government had since distanced itself from the council, while allegations of forgery and impersonation linked to the organisation are already before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to the lawmaker, the entity allegedly relied on documents claiming it was established under an Act codified as Chapter N2117 of the Laws of the Federation, despite no such legislation existing.

“The nearest existing law is the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) Act, which the purported council appeared to duplicate,” he said.

Gagdi said reports indicating that more than N1.3 billion connected to the entity had been captured in the 2026 budget framework raised serious questions about the integrity of the nation’s budget process.

He warned that the development exposed potential loopholes in budget preparation and legislative scrutiny, adding that it could point to the existence of other fictitious agencies within previous or current appropriation frameworks.

To establish how the alleged insertion occurred, the House constituted an ad hoc committee with a four-week mandate to trace the budget provision from the Executive’s proposal through the legislative process and determine the stage at which the disputed agency was introduced.

The committee is also expected to summon the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Director-General of the Budget Office to explain the procedures used to verify new agencies before they are admitted into the national budget.

Lawmakers further directed the panel to verify all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) listed in the 2025 and 2026 appropriation frameworks against their respective legal instruments of establishment. It is also expected to receive briefings from relevant security and anti-corruption agencies without interfering with the ongoing court proceedings.

The House also urged the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to ensure that no funds are released or payment warrants honoured in favour of the disputed entity pending the conclusion of the investigation.

To prevent a recurrence, lawmakers resolved that the Budget Office should, from now on, submit alongside every Appropriation Bill a comprehensive list of all MDAs proposed for funding, clearly stating the legal instrument establishing each agency.

Backing the motion, Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi, described the development as a serious threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s budgeting process.

“This is a nationally important issue. We must investigate it thoroughly because it affects the sanctity of our budget process and the confidence Nigerians have in Parliament,” Satomi said.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu also threw his weight behind the investigation, revealing that his office had unknowingly engaged officials of the purported council after receiving what appeared to be an authentic letter carrying the Presidency’s insignia.

Kalu disclosed that the correspondence, dated 2 May 2025, bore the logos of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, while also listing an office address within the Federal Secretariat Complex and a government website.

He explained that his office carried out preliminary checks, confirmed that the organisation occupied the stated office and subsequently granted its officials an audience.

According to him, rather than discussing constitutional amendment and investment matters as outlined in their letter, the delegation appeared more interested in taking photographs.

“The experience shows that a letterhead bearing the Presidency or an office in the Federal Secretariat is no longer sufficient proof that an organisation is legally established,” Kalu said.

He stressed that Parliament must establish how the organisation gained access to key government institutions and allegedly secured a place in the national budget.

Following overwhelming support from members, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen put the motion to a voice vote, and it was unanimously adopted, clearing the way for the investigation.