Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has taken aim at the purported infrastructural achievements in Abuja under the leadership of Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday, January 10, 2025, Dalung dismissed claims by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that Abuja now resembles London.
“If the Senate President feels like he’s in London, perhaps it’s the London of his immediate environment,” Dalung quipped, pointing out that his own neighborhood in Abuja does not reflect such a transformation.
The ex-minister criticized the narrative of progress tied to Wike’s projects, describing it as a misrepresentation. He argued that basic amenities—such as water supply, quality education, and healthcare—remain severely lacking in the Federal Capital Territory.
“It’s unfair to celebrate road constructions in a city with no proper schools and health facilities. In Abuja, there’s no public water supply; most residents rely on private boreholes. The public school system is as inadequate as in other parts of Nigeria, and the healthcare delivery system resembles a transit camp,” Dalung lamented.
He further contended that focusing on road projects does not equate to meaningful development. “These are services that affect common people directly, not road construction. How many poor Nigerians own vehicles? Emphasizing road dualization as development excludes the majority,” he stressed.
Dalung also criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing unnamed “dangerous cabals” of pursuing selfish agendas that disconnect the president from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. However, he declined to disclose the identities of those he believes are derailing Tinubu’s directives.
The former minister’s remarks have sparked debate about the priorities of the current FCT administration and broader issues of governance under Tinubu’s presidency.
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