Senate President Godswill Akpabio has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration never promised Nigerians instant miracles.
Instead, he said the government pledged to deliver “structural, calculated and deliberate progress” through President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement comes at a time when many Nigerians are complaining about the high cost of living, which has been largely caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy and other recent government policies.
Akpabio made these remarks on Friday while representing President Tinubu at the launch of a new seven-kilometer road and bridge in the Federal Capital Territory.
The project connects Bill Clinton Drive to the Tunga Madaki Settlement, bypassing the airport’s second runway to open up economic opportunities for residents who had been isolated for years.
Speaking at the event, Akpabio emphasized the administration’s long-term approach to governance.
“When we came into office, we did not promise you miracles that would appear from thin air. We promised structural, calculated and deliberate progress. We promised a Renewed Hope Agenda that will touch the lives of every Nigerian citizen, not just in economic statistics but in the reality of their daily struggles.”
He praised the local indigenous communities for their patriotism in giving up their ancestral lands so the airport’s second runway could be built. However, he pointed out that it was unfair how these communities were left without good roads for so long.
He noted, “For years, the paradox remained. These patriotic communities gave up land for aeroplanes to fly, yet they had no motorable roads for their own feet, vehicles and motorcycles. They were cut off from the FCT and from the very airport they gave up their lands to build.”
The Senate President declared that “no citizen should be made a victim of national development.”
He explained that after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike brought the issue to the government’s attention, President Tinubu ordered that the communities’ needs be met.
