Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has urged residents of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 citing the completion of the long-awaited Bonny-Bodo Road as evidence of his administration’s commitment to development.
Wike said the road had ended decades of dependence on boats and helicopters for access to the island community describing its completion as a landmark achievement that demonstrated the importance of continuity in governance.
The minister spoke yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III in Port Harcourt ahead of an interactive meeting with residents of Bonny Local Government Area.
He said successive administrations had treated the road as a political promise without delivering it until the current federal government.
‘The advantage is that we can now go by road to Bonny. Administrations have come and this road has become a political road. It is not today. So many governments have said ‘We will try’ but thank God under the administration of the present president this road has been completed’ Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor argued that the project would improve connectivity facilitate commercial activities and ease the transportation difficulties that had constrained residents and businesses in the oil-rich kingdom for decades.
Wike who coordinates Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State and the FCT said Nigerians should judge political leaders by their records in office particularly their ability to take difficult decisions and deliver projects that directly improve the lives of citizens.
He urged the people of Bonny to consider the federal government’s infrastructure achievements and economic reforms in deciding whether Tinubu deserved a second term.
The minister also defended the president’s removal of the petrol subsidy describing it as a difficult but necessary decision that previous administrations had avoided despite acknowledging the problems associated with the policy.
‘Each time a president comes fuel subsidy is a scam. What have you done with it? Nobody has been able to make a courageous decision’ he said.
While acknowledging the hardship caused by rising petrol prices and the cost of living Wike argued that subsidy removal had increased the revenue available to federal state and local governments.
He claimed that states now received at least N15 billion monthly from federal allocations excluding other revenue inflows and challenged subnational governments to translate the additional resources into visible development.
Recalling the financial position of Rivers State when he became governor in 2015 Wike maintained that the resources available to governments had increased significantly creating opportunities for investment in infrastructure education and public services.
He also said that public universities had not embarked on strikes in the three years preceding his remarks attributing the development to improved funding conditions.
Wike argued that the impact of economic reforms should be assessed over time rather than judged exclusively by the immediate difficulties they impose on citizens.
He urged voters to scrutinise the records of politicians seeking public office warning against those he accused of making promises without delivering tangible results.
To buttress his argument the minister criticised aspects of the previous Rivers State administration and raised questions about the management of funds allocated to major projects.
He alleged that $39 million had been paid for the proposed 1000-bed Justice Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital without the project progressing to the foundation stage.
Wike also claimed that $308million received from the sale of a power plant in December 2014 had dwindled to $308000 by the time he assumed office in May 2015.
He argued that the money could have funded development projects across the state’s local government areas if properly managed.
The minister said political leaders should be judged by their records of accountability project delivery and prudent management of public resources rather than campaign promises.
He further urged community leaders to engage government authorities on their development priorities stressing that projects should reflect the needs of the people who would benefit from them.
According to him traditional rulers youths and other stakeholders should identify their most pressing challenges and communicate them to the relevant authorities to ensure that available resources are directed towards meaningful interventions.
Wike said effective governance required consultation realistic prioritisation and cooperation between communities and the different levels of government.
Earlier the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III welcomed the minister and commended his longstanding relationship with the kingdom.
The monarch recalled Wike’s support for the establishment of Bonny Polytechnic during his time as a minister as well as his interventions on security-related matters.
He also acknowledged Wike’s contribution to the Bonny-Bodo Road project describing his role as significant to the kingdom’s development.
‘The minister has been of immense support to us ranging from where we tried to establish the Bonny Polytechnic. He played a major role towards having this polytechnic started at the time he was minister’ the monarch said.
The traditional ruler described Bonny Kingdom as an important contributor to Nigeria’s economic and national life while commending Wike’s emphasis on infrastructure development and project delivery.