**• Says Road Ends Years Of Dependence On Boats, Helicopters
**• Defends Subsidy Removal, Says States Now Get More Money
**• Knocks Past Rivers Govt Over Alleged Abandoned Projects
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has declared that the completion of the Bonny-Bodo Road is one of the reasons Nigerians should support President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office.
Wike said the road had ended years of difficult journeys to Bonny Kingdom, where residents and visitors largely depended on boats and helicopters to access the island community.
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.
According to him, successive administrations had promised to complete the road but failed to deliver the project until the current 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,” he said.
Wike, who coordinates Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, urged residents to assess political leaders based on their achievements rather than campaign promises.
He said the Bonny-Bodo Road had improved access to the kingdom and could support economic activities by making movement easier for residents, businesses and visitors.
The former Rivers State governor said his engagement with the people was aimed at explaining developments in the country and encouraging them to make informed political decisions ahead of the 2027 general election.
Defends subsidy removal
Wike also defended Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy, describing it as a bold 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.
Although he acknowledged the hardship caused by rising petrol prices and the cost of living, Wike argued that subsidy removal had increased the revenue available to states and local governments.
He claimed that states now receive at least N15 billion monthly from federal allocations, excluding other revenue inflows, and urged governments at the subnational level to use the funds to improve infrastructure and public services.
The minister recalled that allocations to states were significantly lower when he became Rivers State governor in 2015.
He also attributed improved funding conditions in the education sector partly to the reforms, claiming that public universities had not embarked on strikes in the three years preceding his remarks.
Wike insisted that Nigerians should consider the long-term benefits of economic reforms rather than judge them solely by the immediate hardship they cause.
Knocks past Rivers administration
The FCT minister also criticised the management of public funds under 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 plant.
He alleged that $39 million was paid for the proposed hospital without the project progressing to the foundation stage.
Wike 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 as governor in May 2015.
He argued that the money could have been invested in infrastructure and development projects across the state’s local government areas.
The allegations were made by the minister during the event. Documentary evidence was not provided in the supplied account, and responses from the individuals and companies concerned were not available.
Wike said the examples showed why Nigerians should scrutinise the records of politicians seeking public office, particularly their handling of public funds and delivery of projects.
He cautioned voters against supporting politicians who repeatedly seek elective positions without demonstrating a credible plan for addressing the country’s challenges.
The minister, in his remarks, urged traditional rulers, youths and community leaders to engage government authorities on their most pressing needs.
He said governments should consult communities before deciding which projects to execute, adding that effective development required cooperation between residents and the different levels of government.
Monarch hails Wike
Earlier, the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, welcomed Wike and commended his longstanding relationship with the kingdom.
The monarch said the minister had supported Bonny’s development even before becoming governor of Rivers State.
He recalled Wike’s role in efforts to establish Bonny Polytechnic during his time as a minister, as well as his interventions on security issues affecting the kingdom.
The traditional ruler also acknowledged the minister’s contribution to the Bonny-Bodo Road project, describing his role as important to the community.
“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.
He described Bonny Kingdom as strategically important to Nigeria’s economic development and praised Wike’s emphasis on infrastructure and project delivery.
The minister, in his remarks, urged traditional rulers, youths and community leaders to engage government authorities on their most pressing needs.
He said governments should consult communities before deciding which projects to execute, adding that effective development required cooperation between residents and the different levels of government.
