Tinubu Sings ‘E Dey Pain Dem’ During Road Commissioning In Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday commissioned the newly completed Arterial Road N16, christened Shehu Shagari Way, linking Nnamdi Azikiwe Way (Ring Road One) to Wole Soyinka Way (Arterial Road N20).
The commissioning, held in Abuja’s Katampe District, also included several connecting roads and an interchange, with Tinubu stressing that “infrastructure is not a luxury—it is a necessity. It is the bedrock of national competitiveness, growth, and social integration.”
Tinubu praised FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and jokingly suggested that the former Rivers governor may join him in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We have somebody in Nyesom Wike. He’s not a member of our party, not yet. But the day he changes his mind and registers with the Progressives, we will welcome him because we will join him in singing ‘as e dey sweet us, e dey pain dem’,” Tinubu said.
The road, he said, had long remained an underutilised stretch despite its central role in the Abuja master plan. “What was once missing as a link is now a modern, functional and durable infrastructure,” the president said.
He credited the FCT Administration under Wike for translating that vision into reality, adding that the road would significantly reduce traffic congestion in central Abuja and enhance access to developing districts like Katampe, Jahi, and Mabushi.
Tinubu also stressed that roads like N16 would stimulate housing and commercial growth while laying the groundwork for further integration of the capital city.
He commended Wike for the project’s swift execution and transparency, and called him a “team builder” while hailing his leadership as “the hallmark of good governance.”
“We did not worry about protests. We simply focused on building… and will continue to serve the people, no matter how much the naysayers pursue their politics,” Tinubu noted.
President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to interconnected investments in roads, power, education, and digital infrastructure, staying, “There’s no way industrialization will flourish without good roads… It’s only through coordinated and integrated development that we can unlock Nigeria’s full potential.”
Wike who in his address noted that “we have restored confidence in governance,” emphasised that the project was awarded solely by the Tinubu administration — a deliberate break from the norm of commissioning inherited projects.
He said, “This road was awarded in September last year and flagged off in October. We told the contractor, CGC, ‘Rain or no rain, you must work.’ And they delivered. Not one kobo was lost.”
Wike said the speed and quality of the project have instilled new confidence in contractors and citizens alike, and revealed that in some cases, work began even before formal Federal Executive Council (FEC) approvals — a testament, he said, to trust in Tinubu’s leadership.
“Contractors now compete to work. They don’t even wait for mobilisation. That is the confidence this government has created,” he said.
Wike also shared stories of overcoming resistance, negotiating with chiefs, and ensuring compensation was paid “200%” to displaced communities.
He argued that development comes with sacrifice, especially for the natives of Abuja who must balance tradition with urban expansion.
Wike, while seemingly mocking the opposition, further said, “Some people were born not to be happy — nothing you do will please them. But the people you saw today? They are happy. This is real.”
Wike spoke on other infrastructure that will be unveiled, and boasted that by Tinubu’s third year in office, nearly all FCT-awarded contracts would be completed.
“The revolution in Abuja is ongoing. By Friday, we go to Apo. By Monday, another one. Mister President, coalition is bound to fail. Your works speak too loud,” Wike added.
Tinubu Sings ‘E Dey Pain Dem’ During Road Commissioning In Abuja is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
