President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the official residence of the Nation’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima that has been abandoned since 2010.
The president assured his administration’s commitment to concentrate on delivering on the promises made to Nigerians rather than dwell on the failures of past administrations.
Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President, Kashim Shetttima, promised to end abandoning projects after spending a substantial amount of money, which results in wasting tax payers money.
He said, “As we commission this state-of-the-art edifice, the official residence of the Vice President of Nigeria, we are fulfilling a long-standing commitment and unwavering dedication to accountability, transparency, and efficient utilisation of resources for the betterment of our nation.
“I hold a very strong opinion that abandoning projects after substantial expenditure has been made is inherently wasteful, and it is in the best interest of the government and the public to see them to completion.
“Rather than dwell on past shortcomings, we have chosen to seize this opportunity to demonstrate our resolve to confront obstacles head-on and deliver on the promises made to the Nigerian people in line with our renewed hope agenda,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu also thanked the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration for making the completion of the official residence of the VP a reality within his one year in office.
Speaking in his own capacity, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who could not hide his joy, noted that the completion of the project symbolises the respect that Mr President has for the office of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his readiness to provide the needed tools for laying a solid foundation for efficient governance.
He also praised the FCT Minister for his dedication to duty, citing him as a shining example of what a public officer should be.
“The Office of the Vice President is After 14 years of neglect, Tinubu inaugurates official VP’s residencethe most derided and the most sensitive of positions, but we have to give it to Mr President Tinubu; he treats me with absolute decorum, respect, and inclusivity…We have seen how vice presidents were treated in the past; this present dispensation is a different ball game.
“The actions of the FCT Minister and his dedication to duty are indeed remarkable, and he stands as a shining example of what a public officer can be. As Victor Ehigwe rightly said, ‘Nothing in the world, not armies, is as powerful as an idea whose time has come’. Nyesom Wike is an idea whose time has come.” Shettima stated.
The Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, disclosed that the VP official residence was awarded in 2010, fourteen years ago, at a cost of $7 billion, abandoned in 2015, but later reviewed by Tinubu’s administration in January 2024 to 21 billion, and today it is complete with world-class facilities.
According to Wike, environment drives productivity; hence, the FCT Administration, with the approval of Mr. President, committed the required resources to complete the project.
He said, “When we came on board on the 21st of August, if you were here, it was bush. And I went to Mr. President and said, How can we allow the Vice President’s residence to get this bad? Look, criminals have taken over the place. We are talking about fighting criminals, and Mr. President said, Go and make sure that the project is completed.
“Mr. President has come within a year; he made it a reality. May God continue to bless Bola Ahmed Tinubu for knowing that if you don’t stay in a good environment, you can’t put in your best.
“Environment affects productivity; the environment affects efficiency. By the time you go in here and see what is provided, I am sure Mr. Vice President will be more encouraged to do more work than where he stays now.”.
The FCT Minister also used the medium to warn the company in charge of street lights at night to wake up to their responsibility, noting that the FCTA will not tolerate seeing the city in gross darkness again.
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