***Commissions Lifeline Road in Bwari
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent an unmistakable message to rural communities across the nation’s capital: their days of neglect are over.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday, the President declared that “no community will be left behind” under his Renewed Hope Agenda, as he commissioned the long-awaited dualized Ushafa–War College Army checkpoint road — a 16.4-kilometre lifeline that thousands in Bwari Area Council have waited decades to see.
“Today is not just about asphalt; it’s about trust. This road used to be a daily nightmare — a stretch of frustration for farmers, traders, students and health workers. That story ends today. We have turned this path of pain into a corridor of opportunity,” Tinubu said in a speech delivered by Shettima.
Beyond easing traffic gridlock, the upgraded route is expected to open new markets, boost emergency response, attract investment and inject fresh energy into local economies stretching far beyond Bwari.
But Tinubu’s message went deeper than roads and tar. He emphasized that the entire project was awarded to an indigenous contractor — a deliberate move to build local capacity and prove that Nigerian hands can deliver world-class infrastructure when empowered.
“We’re not just building roads — we’re building pride, we’re creating jobs, we’re proving that our own can deliver quality equal to anywhere in the world,” he said.
In a thinly veiled response to critics who claim Abuja’s suburbs have been left behind, Tinubu praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for taking development directly to the doorsteps of forgotten communities.
“Minister Wike’s bold, hands-on leadership ensures that development is not confined to the city centre alone. No ward, no street, no farm gate will be left in the shadows. Only then can we truly say Abuja works — and Nigeria works,” the President added.
Vice President Shettima told cheering Bwari residents that this commissioning was not mere symbolism but solid proof that the Renewed Hope Agenda is about action, not empty promises.
“We are not here to cut ribbons for the cameras. We are here to show that promises made are promises kept,” he declared.
FCT Minister Wike used the moment to fire back at serial defectors and political critics who, he said, jump between parties “without vision or delivery.”
“Let those who claim nothing is working come and walk on this road. Let them see with their own eyes what real leadership does — it builds. It delivers,” Wike said, drawing loud applause from the crowd.
He praised Tinubu for rewriting Abuja’s story by personally bringing projects to rural communities — something Wike described as unprecedented since Nigeria’s return to democracy.
“For the first time ever, a sitting President and Vice President have left the city centre to flag off and commission projects for our rural people. Mr. President, you promised to show love to our satellite towns — and today, you have delivered,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, echoed the same message, describing the road as living proof of Tinubu’s promise that no community will be sidelined on Nigeria’s road to progress.
“Mr. President’s vision keeps opening new corridors of growth and prosperity across the FCT. We remain committed to taking more dividends of democracy to every street, every village, every family,” Mahmoud said.
As the ribbon fell and the cheering rose, the people of Bwari and Ushafa finally saw their rugged stretch of broken promises transformed into a smooth gateway to growth and a powerful symbol that, under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope, no community will be left behind.
