Veteran journalist Kehinde Olaosebikan hails Wike’s performance as FCT minister

By Adejayan Gbenga

Veteran journalist and pioneer Abuja Bureau Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Kehinde Olaosebikan, has described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the standout administrator in Abuja’s 50-year history.

He based his assessment on what he called the minister’s remarkable infrastructure delivery, endorsements from President Bola Tinubu and former FCT Minister Aliyu Modibo, as well as his personal observations after nearly four decades in the nation’s capital. Olaosebikan made the remarks in a commentary following a thanksgiving banquet held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Area 11, Garki, Abuja. The event celebrated the inauguration of 31 projects across the FCT as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration.

During the event, President Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, described Wike as the best minister to have administered the Federal Capital Territory since its creation 50 years ago. The president’s commendation was one of the highlights of the celebration.

Similarly, former FCT Minister Aliyu Modibo, who served between 2007 and 2008 and is now special adviser to President Tinubu on General Duties in the Office of the Vice President, said he had carried out what he termed a “peer review” of past and present FCT ministers. He ranked Wike among the three best FCT ministers alongside Air Vice Marshal Hamza Abdullahi and Major General Muhammadu Gado Nasko, leaving the audience to decide their order of merit.

In his piece, Olaosebikan stated that the gathering, which included serving and former ministers, members of the National Assembly, permanent secretaries, directors of the FCT Administration and chairmen of area councils, unanimously declared Wike the best among the three. He said the response reflected the widespread recognition of the minister’s performance.

Drawing from his experience as an Abuja resident since 1988 and as a journalist who covered successive FCT administrations, Olaosebikan said he had witnessed the tenures of 12 of the 17 ministers who have managed the territory. He recalled that while previous administrations introduced ambitious development plans, many projects were abandoned and growth remained concentrated in the city centre.

He noted, however, that Wike’s administration has been distinguished by the rapid completion of long-abandoned road projects and the expansion of infrastructure to satellite communities. According to him, development has extended beyond Garki, Wuse, Maitama and Asokoro to areas such as Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Bwari, while the enforcement of the Abuja Master Plan, rehabilitation of parks and improved support for security agencies have also restored order in the capital.

Olaosebikan also praised Wike for acknowledging the contributions of his predecessors instead of taking sole credit for the achievements. He concluded that the minister’s performance over the past three years had set him apart from previous FCT ministers, adding that President Tinubu’s endorsement reflected the visible improvements recorded across the nation’s capital.