Replicate Rivers’ Giant Strides In FCT – Abuja Natives Beg Wike

• Grateful to President Tinubu for ministerial slot

BY EDMOND ODOK – Natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have challenged the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike to replicate his infrastructural development genius in the South-South state as the as Minister of the nation’s capital city.

Acting under the umbrella of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization (AOIYEO), the indigenes said history will be kind to Wike if he does bequeath to FCT the outstanding transformational strides recorded in Port Harcourt and across Rivers state during his eight years tenure as Governor.

A statement signed by AOIYEO’s President, Commandant Isaac David welcomed Wike’s appointment as the FCT Minister, noting that being the seat of government, it would be a disservice to Nigeria to appoint someone not experienced in the art of managing a capital city like Abuja.

According to natives, given the former governor’s background, they are very confident that his giant strides in Rivers State would be replicated in the FCT, stressing that the development of Abuja in all ramifications required somebody bold to maintain strict adherence to the Abuja master plan, restore normalcy in the area of security and be strongly committed to nation-building.

In appreciating Wike’s capacity to deliver on his mandate of further transforming Abuja, AOIYEO said; “Most importantly, we will urge the Minister to carry along all Abuja indigenous stakeholders, especially the youth, in the scheme of running the government because a proper understanding of complexity nature and structure of Abuja warrant that the Minister needs to work hand in hand with these original inhabitants and the residents for a successful tenure.”

While urging Barrister Wike to defend the constitutional rights and identity of the natives in all his actions, the group maintained that such cordiality and respect would go a long way in drawing the support of the peace-loving people of Abuja.

For them; “As Nigerians, we would also appreciate it, if the minister too can write his name in the history book of the indigenous people of Abuja as it was done by President Tinubu, who is the first and only Nigeria leader that made one of us, Hon Zephaniah Jisalo, a member of Federal cabinet in the last 50 years.”

The natives stressed that every administration needs cooperation, support and encouragement from the people in order to succeed, even as they charged both indigenes and residents of FCT to rally around the new Minister towards achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for the country