Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday voiced the frustration of many Nigerians over the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, urging former national team captain Joseph Yobo to convey the disappointment to the players.
Wike made the remarks during the inauguration of the newly completed Gwagwalada-Kuje Road, an event attended by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
While congratulating Yobo, who was present at the ceremony, the minister said football-loving Nigerians were deeply unhappy with the national team’s recent performances.
“We have congratulated one of our own, Joseph Yobo, but let me use this opportunity to tell the Super Eagles that Nigerians are not happy,” Wike said.
“If nobody tells them the truth, let me do so. When Joseph Yobo’s name was mentioned alongside the Super Eagles and people started clapping, I refused to clap because I was disappointed.”
The minister lamented Nigeria’s inability to secure a World Cup ticket despite boasting a squad filled with players competing in some of the world’s top football leagues.
“I watched the World Cup qualifiers and saw countries many people had never heard of qualifying for the tournament. Yet Nigeria, with more than a dozen players featuring across Europe and other top leagues, failed to qualify. Joseph Yobo should go and tell them that we are not happy,” he added.
Turning to governance matters, Wike welcomed President Tinubu to the 11th day of project commissioning activities in the FCT and commended him for his commitment to overseeing the projects personally.
“Mr President, on behalf of the Honourable Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the people of the FCT, I welcome you once again. We do not take it for granted that you have spent six or seven days out of the 11 days of project commissioning with us. We sincerely appreciate your dedication,” he said.
The minister explained that the Gwagwalada-Kuje Road project was conceived after extensive consultations with residents, traditional rulers, women and youth groups across the six Area Councils shortly after the administration assumed office in August 2023.
According to him, the engagement process allowed the government to identify and prioritise projects that directly reflected the needs of local communities.
“One of the first things we did was to visit all six Area Councils to ask the people what they wanted from government. For many of them, it was the first time officials from the FCTA sat down with them to discuss their priorities directly,” Wike said.
He noted that residents highlighted the poor condition of the road linking the Airport Road corridor to Kuje, a project that had previously been awarded but later abandoned.
Wike said a traditional ruler from the area drew attention to the security implications of the neglected road, explaining that criminals had taken advantage of its poor condition while security agencies struggled to respond effectively.
“The traditional ruler told us that insecurity was being worsened by bad roads. He reminded us that this road had been abandoned and appealed to us to bring the contractor back to site,” he recalled.
The minister said the administration responded by reactivating the project and ensuring its completion, stressing that President Tinubu’s government remains committed to delivering projects that improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“When the people are happy, Mr President is happy. The happiness of this administration lies in the happiness of the people,” Wike said.
He added that the successful completion of the road project demonstrates the administration’s resolve to fulfil its promises and strengthen infrastructure development across the Federal Capital Territory.
Residents, he noted, have now seen that government commitments can be translated into tangible results, particularly when projects are driven by the needs and priorities of the people.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!