The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said residents of Abuja can feel the impact of ongoing policies and projects under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Wike made the remarks on Monday during a media chat in Abuja, where he responded to concerns about the level of impact of government programmes on citizens.
He questioned claims that the administration had not made a meaningful impact, saying such views were often influenced by sentiment.
“When I begin to hear people say, people are angry, people are not feeling the impact of government, I say, come, is it really just because we want to say so that we are saying something to criticise the government?” he said.
Wike acknowledged that the government had not achieved everything, but maintained that its efforts should not be dismissed.
“I’m not saying the government have done everything, I’m not saying so,” he said.
He argued that residents of Abuja should be able to recognise ongoing developments and interventions under the administration.
“But if you are really a resident in Abuja, can you, in truth, say you don’t feel the impact of this government? Forget about your sentiment. Forget about, oh, I want my village man to be president.”
The minister urged citizens to separate political preferences from assessment of government performance, saying sentiments can influence perception.
“If you are really staying in Abuja, will you say this government has not made any impact in terms of whatever you may name?” he asked.
Wike added that while the administration had not achieved full delivery on its promises, progress was ongoing.
“And we are not saying we have done 100%. If we have done 100%, we don’t need to say, okay, give him another opportunity.”
He said there remains “hope” in the direction of the administration’s policies.