By Ben Adoga, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday charged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, not to be distracted from his good works by busybodies and bye-standers who must criticise.
Tinubu gave the charge while re-commissioning the refurbished Abuja International Conference Centre, which has been renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
“Don’t pay attention to busybodies and bye-standers; continue to do your good works; you are a transformational leader; you have the foresight, the vision and the determination to succeed,” Tinubu stated on Wike.
Tinubu confirmed what the FCT Minister and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said earlier about the state of the Centre before the renovation.
“When I attended the conference of ECOWAS Parliament here, it was a filthy, disorganised, uninhabitable environment. Aside from the side talk I had with the Senate President, I turned to Wike and said, ‘This conference centre is not reflecting who we are.’
“Have we sunk this low? He said no, but bear with them, ‘We will do whatever we can do to transform the place. You won’t come back to find it in a dilapidated state, and today, I am very happy.”
Tinubu said modern infrastructure is the backbone of a modern economy and that the International Conference Centre was one such infrastructure in which the renewed hope agenda was keyed.
“Through the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are determined to renew infrastructure across the key sectors of this country: transportation, health care, education, energy and urban development.”
The President, who had attended several engagements in Lagos before the commissioning, was excited about the renewal of how things are done and the renewed hope agenda in action.
“I am honoured and happy to be here to reopen this International Conference Centre as people of quality, people of character, people of determination, and people of great spirit. That is who we are, and I am glad that you, Nyesom Wike, are reflecting that.”
Encouraging the FCT Minister to commercialise the Centre fully, the President charged: “You must obey what the landlord (Wike) said; if you want to use this place, you must pay for it.”
In attendance was the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
He praised the FCT Minister for renovating the Centre.
Akpabio said there was no need for talks as the facts speak for itself.
He noted the poor state of the facility before the renovation.
“The Nigerian National Assembly is proud of you,” the Senate President commended the FCT Minister.
He commended Wike for renaming the Centre after President Tinubu.
*Minister renames AICC Bola Ahmed Tinubu Int’l Conference Centre
Earlier, the FCT Minister noted that the Centre was built in 1991 and that no major renovation had taken place since then.
Wike made it clear that he was accosted by the President about the state of the facility when he attended an ECOWAS parliament in August last year.
He said the renovated Centre can be compared with any other centre in the world.
Wike also stated that the facility was previously given to a politician for maintenance and management. That has changed now.
Commending the President for his support, he also praised the National Assembly for their support. He announced the naming of some halls after the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the Chief Justice of the Federation, CJN, Justice Kekere Ekun.
A side attraction of the event was a ministerial dance, during which Wike danced after his speech and proceeded to appreciate the President.
