Aniefiok Christopher
President Bola Tinubu, Thursday, said his administration is not building to create headlines but to leave enduring legacy for generations to come.
Tinubu, who spoke at the inauguration of the Access Road bypassing Abuja Airport second runway from Clinton Drive to Tunganmadaki settlement in the Federal Capital Territory, noted ‘‘We are not building for headlines. We are building for generations to come.’’
Represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu declared ‘‘No citizen should be made a victim of national development.’’
According to him, ‘‘when it became necessary to construct the second Runway of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, the original inhabitants of the area surrendered their ancestral lands.
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“They sacrificed for the collective good of the nation. Yet the paradox remained. These patriotic communities gave up land for airplanes to fly, yet they had no motorable roads for their own feet and vehicles. They were cut off.
“When the Hon. Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike brought this matter to my attention, my directive was clear and unequivocal: ‘Whatever the communities ask for to make their lives whole, give it to them.”
“We do not just take, we build, we replace and we elevate. Today, we have fulfilled that solemn promise,” Tinubu said.
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Tinubu further stated that “the reforms we embarked on three years ago were never going to be easy.
“We made hard choices but they were necessary choices. Hard choices today mean a stronger Nigeria tomorrow.
“That is why l urge everyone resident in FCT and every Nigerian, continue to support this administration. Support the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I know the cost of living is biting. But, l assure you that this government means well for all. We are not building for headlines. We are building for generations to come. We will keep working day and night until every Nigerian feels the impact of good governance.”
Also speaking, the FCT Minister, Wike said other communities should learn from Tunganmadaki community.
Wike said rather than asking for money to allow the construction of the second Runway project, they demanded of the government to get jobs for their people and road for their community.
He said they had lost hope in government but Tinubu government gave them jobs and roads and restored their hope in government.
“Today, the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set out Renewed Hope Agenda. That is the essence of the Renewed Hope. This community has lost hope. They don’t believe in government. But by the emergence of this administration, Hope has returned to them,” the minister said.
