The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cited the completion of the Bonny-Bodo Road as a major infrastructure achievement of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, urging residents of Bonny Kingdom to support the president’s re-election bid in 2027.
Wike said the road had ended decades of dependence on boats and helicopters for access to Bonny Island, describing its completion as the fulfilment of a longstanding promise by successive federal administrations.
The minister spoke on Saturday 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 of Rivers State.
He said successive governments had promised to deliver the road without completing it until the Tinubu administration.
“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.
He argued that improved road access would ease transportation challenges, strengthen commercial activities and create new opportunities for residents and businesses in the oil-rich kingdom.
Wike, who coordinates Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, urged residents to assess political leaders based on their records, particularly their ability to deliver infrastructure and make difficult policy decisions.
Defending the president’s economic reforms, the minister said the removal of the petrol subsidy was a necessary decision that previous administrations had acknowledged but failed to implement.
“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 associated with rising petrol prices and the cost of living, Wike argued that subsidy removal had increased the funds available to state and local governments through federal allocations.
He claimed that states now receive at least N15 billion monthly from federal allocations, excluding other revenue inflows, and urged subnational governments to deploy their resources towards infrastructure, education and other public services.
The former Rivers governor recalled that the financial resources available to states were considerably lower when he assumed office in 2015. He maintained that the additional revenue created opportunities for governments to address development needs, provided the funds were properly managed.
Wike also claimed that public universities had not embarked on strikes in the three years preceding his remarks, attributing the situation to improved funding conditions.
He urged Nigerians to consider the long-term implications of economic reforms rather than judge them exclusively by their immediate effects.
The minister also questioned the management of funds for some projects during the previous Rivers State administration, citing a proposed 1,000-bed Justice Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital, a monorail project and the sale of a power-related asset.
He alleged that $39 million was paid for the proposed specialist hospital without construction progressing to the foundation stage. He further claimed that $308 million received from the sale of a power plant in December 2014 had dwindled to $308,000 by the time he assumed office in May 2015.
Wike argued that the funds could have been used to finance development projects across the state’s local government areas if properly managed.
The allegations were made by the minister at the event. The account provided no independent verification of the claims or responses from the individuals and companies concerned.
He maintained that political leaders should be judged by their records on accountability, public spending and project delivery, warning voters against politicians who seek office repeatedly without demonstrating how they intend to address the country’s challenges.
Wike also emphasised the importance of community participation in determining development priorities, urging traditional rulers, youths and other community leaders to identify their most pressing needs and communicate them to the appropriate authorities.
According to him, effective development requires 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 acknowledged his longstanding relationship with the kingdom.
The monarch recalled Wike’s contributions to efforts to establish Bonny Polytechnic when he served as a minister, as well as his interventions on security-related matters.
He also commended Wike’s role in the Bonny-Bodo Road project, describing his contributions 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 the emphasis on infrastructure development and the delivery of projects that address the needs of local communities.