By Ijewa, Zeb Obioma

One remarkable feature in the present political dispensation is the vibrancy in government circles. This is what helps Nigerians to stabilize their strained psyche in the face of near economic strangulation situation. Although certain political pontifications, economic calculations and system observations revel in the interpretations that there may be certainty in the hope of seeing light at the end of the tunnel, Nigerians, under the current hardship, are rather inclined to get prepared for a tougher future. The ‘hit the ground running’ attribute to the President Bola Tinubu leadership has lost steam. Nigerians are beginning to wonder whether the ‘running’ is in forward movement or in backward movement. However, the tonic in this administration is in having a person and character of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike as a member of cabinet and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Wike appears to be the pivot upon which all other meaningful activities in this regime revolves. He has revolutionized the engine room of administration and project development of the Federal Capital Territory.
Marking the one year in office of the Bola Tinubu administration was merely about commissioning the many infrastructural development projects accomplished by the Honorable Minister of the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, H.E Bar. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.
It is believed in some quarters that President Tinubu applied great wisdom in making Wike a Minister in His administration and, more still, putting him in charge of the Federal Capital Territory.
As if President Tinubu read the minds of Nigerians correctly, mostly those living in the federal capital territory, Abuja, Wike as the Minister could, as well, be the best gift ever to have been given to the residents of the Capital Territory. Many might not agree with this. They would like to talk about controversies – and this is the point where certain hibernating, stragglers, and off the mill self acclaimed activists latch upon, recently, to rant and make spurious allegations against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The eight years of former FCT Minister, could be defined as the worst leadership experience for the residents of the Federal Capital Territory.. While Nigerians lamented Buhari’s leadership doldrum, inactivity and insensitivity at the center, the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory seemed to be apparently absent from duty. There was hardly any outstanding project which could be linked to his name. He has been adjudged the worst Minister of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory ever. Yet our ‘attack dogs’ activists failed to direct their criticism and discontent in the former Minister’s direction.
Wike’s coming on board as the Honourable Minister of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory has made all the difference, positively, in both administrative system and infrastructural development of the federal capital territory. A man adjudged ‘brash’ but also a man approved as most accomplishing in any assignment or task he sets his mind upon to do. Wike’s leadership mantra agrees with the popular saying, “A man whose name is always mentioned, must have accomplishments attached to him”. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is a workaholic – a trail blazer of sorts and an achiever. He once came to the Federal Ministry of Education and delivered, even as a Minister of State. He went to Rivers state as an elected Executive governor where his good works for him baptized as “Mr Projects” not by friends and supporters, but by an opposition central government. No other Nigerian governor has been so ‘baptised’ or named by any key figure in an opposition federal government- then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
This is the same Wike that has happened to the Federal Capital Territory as the Honourable Minister and before people woke up, he has splashed developmental projects all over the FCT both new ones and others abandoned or non completed by past administrations. In less than two years, the road network in Abuja has redesigned the developmental architecture of Nigeria’s capital territory. Junctions hitherto left bare, have been decorated with traffic light gadgets. From Nyanya through AYA to Kubwa; from Abacha Barracks through Asokoro extension to Kuruduma axis, and from AYA through Apo to Airport road, new roads and avenues have been built with astonishing network construction of overhead bridges purposed to obliterate sluggish driving and traffic nuisance occasioned by roundabouts. The rural outskirts are not left out in this infrastructural development spree.
Critic activists have not seen any reason to appreciate the Honourable Minister for all the above and more yet to be mentioned but would not waste time to make nonfactual and unfounded allegations about very minor demolitions that have been effected due to an overriding need for security and revitalisation of delineated places for special purposes of development which are in line with the master plan of Abuja. As far as Wike is concerned, If it is development, Nigerians must not be denied. After all, those who failed to engage development are now bearing the consequences of such negative impressions to their names – and they may never have a second opportunity to come back and rectify their administrative mistakes or failures.
Unfortunately Wike’s admirable developmental strides have drawn the ire of certain self styled political or civil society activists who hoped to capture on the spur of the aforementioned developmental initiatives to launch their somewhat imbecile attacks on the performing Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
However, something worthy of note about those speculating and hibernating self styled activists is that they operate from the unpopular angle of “sour grape” syndrome. These sets of ‘activists’ have been mere ‘street actors’ who had, at one time or another in the past, approached the Honourable Minister for one favour or another. They forget that as much kind hearted as Wike is, he diligently applies discerning instincts to know well intended aspirations or ends as against selfish and or blackmail motives. Wike needs friends just as everyone does, but he prefers to choose his friends and not the other way round.Therefore, engaging in unproductive criticism from a biased, non factual non objective and non constructive grounds would never serve anyone any good purpose.
Recently, there was unfounded and unverified news that the Honourable Minister collapsed. Some went further to wish that he died. One could only imagine that a fellow human – a mortal could be wishing another death. This is the extent to which some could stretch hatred. But such is left for morality and conscience to deal with. The insect, ‘kolo-kolo’ can only gather around the waist of the Iroko tree just to dramatize inexistent strength pretending to push the Iroko tree down:, in vain do they labour because they could never succeed. Wike has already emerged as a reference point in Nigeria politics reinventing the political ideology of fighting for what is right, just, fair and equitable.

Ijewa, Zeb Obioma