On Saturday, Chinua Achebe and John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, two literary titans, were honored with road names in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)’s Guzape District Lot II by President Bola Tinubu.
At the opening of the engineering infrastructure in Guzape District Lot II, President Tinubu said this.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, urged the President to honor the two great writers by naming important roads in Guzape District.
Following the minister’s recommendation, the President declared the roads to be JP Clark and Chinua Achebe’s during his commissioning.
Achebe is running late, as is JP Clark.
Achebe passed away on March 21, 2013, having been born on November 16, 1930. He was a novelist, poet, and critic from Nigeria. His enduring book Things Fall Apart is still regarded by readers worldwide as a classic.
Nigerian poet and dramatist JP Clark was born on April 6, 1935, and passed away on October 13, 2020. Among his didactic poetry are Abiku and The Casualties.
The newly opened Arterial Road N20 in Abuja was also dedicated in honor of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka by the President on June 4, 2024.
PRESS RELEASE FROM STATE HOUSE
At the start of the FCT Road Project, President Tinubu said, “I don’t have a plot in Guzape; I have the people’s mandate to deliver improved quality of life for everyone.”
According to President Bola Tinubu, his administration is putting people-focused development first by constructing facilities and infrastructure that would raise people’s standard of living.
At the opening of the engineering infrastructure in Guzape District Lot II, President Tinubu delivered the speech.
“During a difficult period for the nation, Minister Nyesom Wike has shown outstanding leadership. We live in a very difficult country at this time. In order to provide prosperity and assistance to the citizens of this nation, we are continuously retooling and rearranging our financial system.
“You have proven that you are able to assemble a team, guide a team, and keep your word. I’m proud of you; good work.
“Legal action is not the solution, as all of you present, the Guzape District Head, and the lawmakers know. The solution is compensation.
“We should promote development that is centered on the needs of the people for economic gains and prosperity.
What use is a large area of land that is inaccessible due to hills and rocks? The President said, “Let’s talk to our people and work together to help build Nigeria.”
President Tinubu stressed that his dedication to building infrastructure around the nation is not for personal gain or aggrandizement, while praising Gilmor Engineering Limited, the contractor managing the project.
“As President, I stand here; I do not own a piece of land in the Guzape District. However, I have the people’s backing and a mandate to provide a decent standard of living and living space.
“That ought to be sufficient for everyone to partake in the delight of devotion, hard work, endurance, and the small blessings God has bestowed upon us,” the President said.
The FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, stated in his remarks that Lots 1 and 2 of the N14 billion contract were given to Messrs. Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited and Messrs. Gilmor Engineering Limited, respectively.
Dantata had been gone from the area for a while. Barrister Wike stated, “After the President approved a memorandum to that effect, we had to bring them back.”
The Minister revealed that the district’s development, spanning 32 kilometers of road, had been plagued by lawsuits; yet, this had not stopped the project’s advancement.
He said that the project’s increased cost of N18.17 billion was made just before the current administration took office.
Because of his conviction that government is a continuum, Barrister Wike praised the President for not giving up on the effort.
“Since I became the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory in August 2023, you have never meddled in our work.” We truly appreciate you giving us the freedom to work,” he remarked.
The FCT Minister intimated that the district’s “diplomatic area” will be finished in a year while pleading with the President to name important roads in Guzape District after famous authors Chinua Achebe and JP Clark.
The region being developed, Guzape District Lot II, is an urban periphery area comprising 620 hectares, with 129 hectares encumbered by village settlements, according to a project overview provided by FCDA Executive Secretary Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad.
According to him, the entire district—Lot 1 and Lot 2—was intended to offer 1,070 hectares of commercial, residential, and recreational space.
“There are 450 hectares in the Lot 1 area, and 620 hectares in the Lot 2 area,” stated the FCDA Executive Secretary.
Ajuri Ngelale, Chief
President’s Special Advisor
(Public Relations & Media)
June 8, 2024
