June 11, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu has approved the naming of the 3.2km Arterial Road and Bridge, at Shagari/Satellite Quarters, Kwali, after Nigeria’s late famous potter, Ladi Kwali.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, disclosed this on Tuesday, when he commissioned the road in the Kwali area council of Abuja.
THEWILL reports that Mrs Kwali, a talented porter, died in 1984. She is the only known woman to have appeared on any Nigerian currency, the twenty-naira note.
Earlier, a road was named after her in the United Kingdom and a street in Abuja’s city centre.
Wike described Ms Kwali, as one, who used her creativity to bring fame, not only to the FCT but to the entire nation.
The Minister told a crowd of cheering Kwali area council residents that President Tinubu has also directed him to ensure adequate illumination of the road by providing solar-powered street lights.
His words: “This road has been abandoned for how many years now? What you see today is the renewed hope agenda we are talking about.
“I am sure that most of you must have lost hope that you took your fate into your own hands since no government will want to feel your plight. “So you have to manage to fend for your people, but as Mr President said, do not lose hope, as he is here to bring your hope back. And from what he has done on this road today, it indeed shows hope is coming back to our people.
“It is not about parties, but Nigerians; it is about you, the Kwali people; it is about you, the Abuja people. Because there is no one particular party that will use this road, and that is what is important to Mr President.
“It doesn’t matter where you belong; his ambition and vision are to make Nigerians believe that their hope must come back, and that is why we have done what we have done today.
“This is not the only road we are doing in Kwali; your chairman has announced the one that we are going to flag off soon and there is another one that is going on.
“So, in this year alone, Kwali will have nothing less than three roads. This was not like that before. So Mr President has brought back hope to all of us.
“Before the Chairman even asked, Mr President had told me that for a popular Abuja person, who has in one way contributed to the development of Abuja, it is very important that charity begins at home and that this road must be named Ladi Kwali Road.
“Secondly, Mr President asked me when this road was being done, what about the illumination, which is to provide security? I said it was not part of it.
“Mr President has directed that I make sure that solar light is provided on this road. So, that is why we are saying that when you have the right leadership, you will get good results. It doesn’t matter where you come from; what is important is: is this person committed?
“I can tell you that Mr President is committed to changing the lives of all of us and giving us hope that was lost. Yes, I know you were impatient; I know you want everything today. I can assure you, you can see that a good dance starts with the right step, and you can see that Mr President has started with a good step, and you are going to see a good dance.”
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