Senate President Godswill Akpabio represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja to inaugurate access roads from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road to Tunga Madaki and Zuba, complete with a four-lane bridge linking Bill Clinton Drive to Settlement Road. In a rousing address, Akpabio hailed FCT Minister Nyesom Wike as “Mr. Deliverer” for replicating his Rivers State infrastructure record in the Federal Capital Territory, saying the projects prove Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is delivering tangible impact in citizens’ daily lives, reports Abba Onyekachukwu, our Consulting Editor on Thursday in Abuja. Excerpts.
The commissioning took place in the Gwagwalada Area Council, where residents have long endured poor access to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and surrounding farming communities.
Akpabio, who spoke on behalf of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said he understood the pain of communities without roads, having experienced similar challenges during his eight years as Akwa Ibom governor.
He noted that the consulting firm for the FCT project also handled roads for him over 15 years ago. Seeing them on the Abuja job gave him confidence that the difficult terrain would yield a structure lasting up to 25 years.
“I want to commend you for using very good construction companies,” Akpabio said, adding that with the Minister’s track record, the FCT was now assured of durable infrastructure.
The Senate President declared that if Wike is called “Mr. Project,” then President Tinubu deserves the title “Mr. Deliverer” – a leader who ensures projects move from promise to reality.
He recalled skepticism among some FCT residents when Wike, a former Rivers governor, was appointed Minister. “People did not know that someone who governed Rivers would come here and do this kind of middle on them,” he said.
Akpabio pointed out that it was the first time in Nigeria’s history that an FCT Minister would commission projects for 30 straight days, a feat made possible by consistent delivery.
“There are some who will never see the good because of envy and jealousy,” he observed, urging Nigerians to support governments that perform regardless of political differences.
Representing the President, he thanked Tinubu for appointing “this miracle worker” and prayed for God’s wisdom to sustain Wike’s pace of work through 2031 and beyond.
The Senate President acknowledged National Assembly members, council officials, party leaders from the All Progressives Congress, and security agencies present at the ceremony.
Turning to the project itself, Akpabio said the roads and four-lane bridge were critical to unlocking the airport corridor and securing aviation traffic by separating local movement from high-security airport routes.
He emphasized that for years, patriotic host communities supplied food and manpower to the capital but lacked motorable roads to move produce, send children to school, or sustain businesses.
“Whether in the dry season or the rains, our farmers can move their produce, our children can go to school, and businesses can thrive without disruptions,” he stated.
Akpabio tied the commissioning to Tinubu’s broader agenda: “We promise structural calculation and deliberate progress. We promised a Renewed Hope Agenda that will touch the lives of every Nigerian, not just in statistics but in daily reality.”
He recalled that in February 2025, Tinubu approved the road project, Wike mobilized immediately, and within 36 months the stretch was completed. “No excuses, no stories, just delivery. That is the standard Nigerians deserve,” he said.
The Senate President urged residents of Tunga Madaki and surrounding communities to protect the asset by avoiding construction on the right of way and indiscriminate waste dumping.
He commended the contractors and FCT engineers for quality work, stressing that the bridge and roads must serve generations to come.
On national reforms, Akpabio admitted the last three years involved hard choices, but insisted they were necessary for a stronger Nigeria tomorrow. He asked citizens to keep supporting the administration despite the high cost of living.
He also noted progress on the Abuja airport’s second runway, saying host communities were now moving forward alongside the project and would not be left behind.
With prayers, Akpabio formally commissioned the access roads and four-lane bridge “for the use of the people and for the development of our dear Federal Capital Territory,” concluding with a call for God’s blessings on Nigeria.
