Abuja City Gate: Tinubu’s wife filling the gap, adding to her husband’s govt – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, said Nigerians should emulate the First Lady, Mrs Remi Tinubu for filling the gap and adding what he termed “something” to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Wike disclosed this while recounting how the First Lady approached him to remodel the Abuja City Gate without trying to involve herself in the award of the contract.

The minister spoke during the commissioning of the remodelled Abuja City Gate by Mrs Tinubu as part of projects line up to celebrate Tinubu’s third year in office.

According to Wike: “When I came here while they were working I didn’t understand what they were doing, they were digging the ground and I asked ‘what are you people doing?’ They said take it easy you will see what it will turn out to be.

“You have come here now and it looks like something simple but it’s not simple, If you know what they put on the ground you will be marveled.

“I know that by the time her excellency commissions this remodeled city gate and you see the lightning, except somebody who does not like good things, by the time she commissions this and you see the water fountains, you will know that to the glory of God we have arrived.

“I’m not the kind of person that talks about praises, no; let me say it clearly, you may not like it but the truth must be told; what is the office of the First Lady? It’s to fill in the gaps. You can imagine that as a government it never occurred to us that yes you are doing roads, building schools, but you should beautify your place.

“You thought about it, you didn’t say give me the contract or I would bring somebody to do this, you said do this and it would help us, it would change the landscape of the area. That is the essence of the office of the First Lady, to fill in the gap.

“All I’m saying is for people to emulate the good things, how you have sat down in spite of all the tight schedules, you thought about this, millions of people have been passing here and nobody approached us but you thought this is not befitting of a nation, I’m going to add something to the administration of my husband.

“Your excellency, I want to thank you most sincerely, some people would say is there no other city gate? People who don’t know anything, they don’t know what is called beauty, what is called landscaping but these are the same people that when they leave here, they will go to one small water fountain and take pictures, here is better than that place.”