Olawale Ajimotokan and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, declared that no Nigerian should be made to suffer as a consequence of national development projects, stressing that communities that sacrifice for the country’s progress must be adequately compensated and supported.
Tinubu spoke while commissioning an access road bypassing the Abuja airport second runway, from Clinton Drive to Tunganmadaki settlement in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Represented by President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu said the road project was a fulfilment of the federal government’s commitment to communities that ceded their ancestral lands for the construction of the second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
He said while the affected communities made significant sacrifices in the national interest, they were left without basic infrastructure for years.
Tinubu said, “When it became necessary to construct the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the original inhabitants of this area surrendered their ancestral lands. They sacrificed for the collective good of the nation.
“Yet the paradox remained. These patriotic communities gave up land for airplanes to fly, yet they had no motorable roads for their own feet and vehicles. They were cut off. Let me state clearly: No citizen should be made a victim of national development.”
Tinubu disclosed that after the issue was brought to his attention by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, he directed that the concerns of the affected communities be fully addressed.
He stated, “When the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, brought this matter to my attention, my directive was clear and unequivocal: ‘Whatever the communities ask for to make their lives whole, give it to them.’
“We do not just take, we build, we replace and we elevate. Today, we have fulfilled that solemn promise.”
The president also appealed for continued public support for his administration, acknowledging the economic difficulties currently facing many Nigerians.
He said, “The reforms we embarked on three years ago were never going to be easy. We made hard choices, but they were necessary choices. Hard choices today mean a stronger Nigeria tomorrow.
“That is why I urge everyone resident in the FCT and every Nigerian to continue to support this administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I know the cost of living is biting. But I assure you, this government means well for all. We are not building for headlines. We are building for generations to come. We will keep working day and night until every Nigerian feels the impact of good governance.”
Wike said Tunganmadaki community demonstrated exemplary cooperation during the acquisition of land for the airport runway project.
He stated that rather than demanding financial compensation, community leaders requested employment opportunities for their people and the construction of access roads.
He said the federal government’s response had restored the community’s confidence in public institutions.
The minister said, “Other communities should learn from Tunganmadaki. Instead of asking for money, they asked for jobs and roads for their people.
“This community had lost hope. They did not believe in government. But with the emergence of this administration and the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda, hope has returned to them.”
