Support Tinubu beyond politics, Ortom urges Nigerians, hails Wike’s performance
BY ADEGBOYEGA STEPHEN
Former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has called on Nigerians to set aside political affiliations and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in its efforts to transform the country, particularly through the work being done in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by the minister, Nyesom Wike.
A statement by Wike’s Special Adviser on Media, Lere Olayinka, on Friday, quoted the former Benue governor as saying these.
“Mr. President alone cannot fix Nigeria. We need to join hands with him, irrespective of party affiliations. Let us put politics aside and support what is good,” Ortom stated during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in Abuja alongside the FCT minister.
Ortom, who served as minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan and has been active in Nigerian politics since 1982, said he had never seen the level of infrastructural development currently taking place in the FCT under Wike’s leadership.
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“I’ve seen several ministers of the FCT, but this is the first time I am witnessing monumental development in Abuja.
“I am very proud of what my friend and colleague, Nyesom Wike, is doing,” he said.
He commended President Tinubu for putting national interest above politics by appointing Wike, “a prominent opposition figure,” to head the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory.
“If Mr. President was a partisan leader, he wouldn’t have appointed Wike, who is from the opposition. But he saw capacity, and that’s leadership,” Ortom noted.
The former governor expressed admiration for the transformation taking place across Abuja, including major roadworks, the construction of world-class bus terminals, and the introduction of a painted taxi system aimed at reorganizing the city’s transport sector.
“I’ve seen Kugbo and Mabushi terminals these are facilities we usually see abroad,” he said.
“To now see them in our own capital is something to celebrate,” he said.
Ortom revealed that despite being a long-time resident of the FCT, the speed and scale of developments under Wike had left him needing a guide to navigate the city.
“I have lived in Abuja since 2008; but with what I see today, I need a guide to move around. That’s how much the city has changed in just one year,” he added.
