The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Saturday cited the completion of the long-awaited Bodo-Bonny Road as concrete proof of President Bola Tinubu’s development track record, rallying residents of Bonny Kingdom to back the President’s second-term bid in 2027.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, in Port Harcourt ahead of a town hall meeting with Bonny stakeholders, Wike declared that the landmark project had permanently ended decades of perilous reliance on speedboats and helicopters.
The FCT Minister, who also coordinates Tinubu’s re-election movement in Rivers State and the FCT, said past administrations had reduced the infrastructure project to a recurring political gimmick until President Tinubu took the bull by the horns.
‘The advantage today is that we can now travel by road to Bonny,’ Wike said.
Wike said, ‘Successive administrations turned this project into a political tool, promising to deliver it without results. But under President Tinubu, that long-standing narrative has changed forever.’
The former Rivers State governor urged Nigerians to judge leaders by their courage to tackle tough national issues rather than empty promises, defending the administration’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy.
While acknowledging the current economic hardship and rising cost of living, he insisted that the policy was a necessary surgical operation that boosted monthly revenue allocations to sub-national governments.
‘Previous leaders acknowledged that fuel subsidy was a scam, yet none possessed the political courage to stop it,’ Wike asserted.
He said, ‘Today, state governments receive at least N15 billion monthly from federal allocations-far above what was obtainable when I assumed office as governor in 2015. Governors must now channel these expanded resources into transformative projects.’
He further highlighted the administration’s impact on human capital, noting that public universities have enjoyed three years of uninterrupted academic calendars thanks to improved funding and engagement.
Taking a swipe at previous political figures in Rivers State, Wike called for strict scrutiny of public officials’ records, raising questions over how funds allocated to legacy projects before his tenure as governor were managed.
He cited the stalled 1,000-bed Justice Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital-where he alleged that $39 million was disbursed without foundation works-and claimed that $308 million from the sale of a state power asset in December 2014 dwindled to $308,000 by May 2015.
He stressed that genuine governance requires continuous grassroots consultation and strategic project prioritisation over rhetoric.
Responding, the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, lauded Wike for his unwavering commitment to the kingdom’s development.
The monarch recalled Wike’s instrumental role as Minister of State for Education in establishing the Federal Polytechnic, Oil and Gas, Bonny, as well as his interventions in regional security and infrastructure.
‘The FCT Minister has been a steadfast pillar of support to Bonny Kingdom,’ the monarch said.
He added, ‘From assisting us in establishing the polytechnic to pushing for the completion of this critical road link, his contributions remain unforgettable.’