Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration never promised Nigerians instant miracles but pledged to deliver “structural, calculated and deliberate progress” through President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Akpabio stated this on Friday while representing President Tinubu at the commissioning of the newly constructed seven-kilometre access road and four-span bridge linking Bill Clinton Drive to the Tunga Madaki Settlement in the Aerotropolis District of the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking during the ceremony, Akpabio said the road project was a practical demonstration of the administration’s commitment to improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians through sustainable infrastructure development.
“When we came into office, we did not promise you miracles that would appear from thin air,” he said.
“We promised structural, calculated and deliberate progress. We promised a Renewed Hope Agenda that will touch the lives of every Nigerian citizen, not just in economic statistics but in the reality of their daily struggles.”
He noted that the newly inaugurated road would reconnect communities that had remained isolated for years despite their proximity to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
According to him, the project bypasses the airport’s second runway and provides a vital link between Bill Clinton Drive and Tunga Madaki Settlement, opening up economic opportunities for residents.
Akpabio praised the indigenous communities that surrendered their ancestral lands to facilitate the construction of the airport’s second runway, describing their sacrifice as an act of patriotism that deserved government recognition.
“When it became necessary to construct the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a project vital to our national security and economic expansion, the original inhabitants of this area willingly surrendered their ancestral lands. They sacrificed for the collective good of the nation,” he said.
He, however, lamented that despite their sacrifice, the communities remained without motorable roads for years, leaving them disconnected from both the Federal Capital Territory and the airport built on their former lands.
“For years, the paradox remained. These patriotic communities gave up land for aeroplanes to fly, yet they had no motorable roads for their own feet, vehicles and motorcycles. They were cut off from the FCT and from the very airport they gave up their lands to build.”
The Senate President stressed that no community should be disadvantaged in the name of national development.
“No citizen should be made a victim of national development,” he declared.
Akpabio disclosed that after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, brought the matter to the President’s attention, Tinubu directed that every legitimate request by the affected communities aimed at improving their welfare should be addressed.
“I stated clearly that whatever the communities ask for to make their lives better and whole, give it to them. My administration will not only take from communities; we will build the communities, replace what has been lost and elevate their standard of living,” he said.
He described the newly completed road as more than a transport project, saying it would serve as an economic corridor, enhancing connectivity and stimulating development across the area.
Akpabio also commended Wike for what he described as his commitment to infrastructure delivery in the FCT, and expressed optimism about the minister’s assurance that the road extension to Zuba would be completed by December.
“Mr. Project, thank you for the pronouncement that the extension to Zuba will be ready by December. You are Mr. Talk and Do,” he added.
