Wike Warns AMAC Chairman Against Street Naming For Cash

The curate of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned the president of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, to desist from the unauthorised naming of streets and roads constructed by the FCT Administration.

Wike gave the informing connected Wednesday during the flag-off ceremonial for the proviso of engineering infrastructure for layouts successful the Guzape AO9 and Asokoro AIT neighbourhood districts of the capital.

The minister, who shifted absorption from the task astatine manus to what helium termed an infraction, expressed beardown disapproval of the signifier wherever Area Council officials allegedly sanction streets aft individuals who person paid them money.

“Today is simply a antithetic day. But fto maine accidental it now. We cannot beryllium constructing roads and providing infrastructure, past you aftermath up successful the morning, earlier I aftermath up, you sanction the streets oregon the roads we are doing, the roads we are funding. I mean, it is very, precise funny.

“You aftermath up; erstwhile idiosyncratic writes to you and pays you money, earlier you cognize it, it’s Dr. So-So Street, Professor So-So Street, Bishop So-So Street, and Madam So-So Street connected a roadworthy we are struggling to find wealth to supply infrastructure. Better spell and refund them their money,” helium said.

Wike, portion declaring an extremity to the epoch of specified naming rights, issued a wide ultimatum.

“We person to sanction streets aft those who person contributed to the improvement of the area. You don’t conscionable aftermath up due to the fact that idiosyncratic has ₦2 million, helium pays you, past you travel and sanction a thoroughfare aft him. That is not possible. You tin spell and sanction them successful the outer towns.

“Go to Keti-Kabusa. Go to Kabusa-Takushara. Go to each those Pai-Gomani. Go and enactment names there. But successful the metropolis here, the authorities indispensable cognize who you are naming the thoroughfare after.

“You don’t conscionable sanction streets aft idiosyncratic erstwhile you don’t cognize wherever the wealth comes from. We volition not bash that again. I person forgiven you till yesterday, but from today, I won’t forgive you again,” helium said.

Wike emphasised that thoroughfare naming successful the city’s halfway should beryllium a dignified process reserved for those who person genuinely contributed to nationalist oregon assemblage development, not the highest bidder.

“Government indispensable cognize who you are naming the thoroughfare after, successful bid to immortalise and retrieve them for what they person done for the country.

“If determination are radical who person paid you money, marque definite you bash the roads too. Provide infrastructure and sanction the thoroughfare aft them. Even wherever I americium living, I woke up 1 aboriginal greeting and saw the sanction of somebody. I said, arsenic a Minister, I americium surviving here. That is not the mode it is expected to be.

“Tomorrow, you whitethorn spot footballers oregon our sports radical who person done well, and it is said, ‘name this thoroughfare aft them’ successful bid to retrieve them for what they person done for the country, for what they person done for the city,” helium said.

Shifting backmost to the project, the curate said that the medication has promised to proceed to supply basal infrastructure and bash each it tin to guarantee that Abuja takes connected a caller look and competes with different cities of the world.

Speaking earlier, the FCT curate of State, Mariya Mahmoud, noted that the President’s imaginativeness of ensuring that each territory of the FCT is accessible and well-serviced continues to animate the administration’s efforts, adding that the lawsuit was different grounds of that resolve.

Mahmoud described the proviso of engineering infrastructure wrong Guzape AO9 and the AIT Neighbourhood successful Asokoro AO4 arsenic being of immense importance.

“Beyond opening up these districts for development, the roadworthy networks and associated infrastructure volition heighten connectivity betwixt neighbourhoods, reducing question clip and decongesting different adjoining routes,” she said.

The minister, therefore, commended members of the National Assembly for their continued enactment successful appropriations and legislative backing, conscionable arsenic she besides applauded Wike for his dynamic and purposeful enactment of the FCTA.