Tinubu Commissions 6.7 km Abuja Outer Southern Expressway

By: Wisdom Acka

President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the expanded Multi-Billion-Naira Abuja Outer Southern Expressway to improve vehicular movements and reduce congestion.

Accordingly, the commissioned Expressway runs from the Villa Roundabout to the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) at Ring Road I Junction in the Phase I of the Federal Capital City.

The President, who was represented at the occasion on Monday by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, hailed the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for charting a new path of leadership in Nigeria.

His words: “I will, therefore, once again commend the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and his team in the FCT for his visionary leadership and tireless dedication to the upliftment of our capital city.”

“Wike is a force of nature,
Wike is redefining the meaning and concept of modern leadership in Nugeria. The President is proud of you, for your dedication, for your persistence, for your courage and the will to do good. I think you deserve to stand and take a bow,” he added.

Reaffirming his administration’s dedication to improving the quality of life for all Nigerians, the President added: “What is unfolding in the Federal Capital is a testament to what can be achieved by government ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of quality transformation of the FCT and indeed Nigeria.”

Tinubu stressed that projects the FCT Minister has delivered, along with and other reforms “hold profound significance for the FCT and its residents, a function of the Outer Southern Motor way will not only alleviate transport congestion and improve transportation but will also stimulate economic growth and create opportunities for prosperity”.

According to him, “With the addition of four Interchanges, we are enhancing connectivity and accessibility, making it easier for residents and visitors alike navigate in and around the capital city”.

“The giant strides have been recorded in the FCT “infrastructural development, urban planning and sustainable growth in the nation’s capital” under Wike’s leadership,” he said.

“Under Wike, we have proved to the World that what counts is leadership, and what this nation needs is quality leadership. The completion of this motor way extension is not merely a piece of engineering but a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership.

“It is a shining example of what we can accomplish if we work together towards a common goal, transcending political divides and personal interest of the greater good of our nation,” Tinubu stressed.

The President thanked all those who worked tirelessly for the delivery of the projects; adding, “As we admire the basic infrastructure before us, let us not forget the, countless hands that have laboured tiredlessly to bring this project to fruition”.

“We owe them all some gratitude.
As we celebrate the commissioning of this project, let us also remember that our work is far from over; there are still many challenges to overcome, and many more opportunities to explore, but with determination, perseverance and a shared sense of purpose, which is clearly evident in the FCT, there is no limit to what we can achieve,” he emphasized.

The FCT Minister, while speaking earlier expressed gratitude to the President and his team for the unwavering support given him and his team; saying it could not have been possible without the President and others, who endured competition of the project.

He continued: “Mr. President said, every project uncompleted, must be completed, and I thank God Almighty that we are doing that today.
So I thank Mr. President and his team for all the necessary support they have given to us.”

The Minister also thanked the leadership, members of the National Assembly, especially the four Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on the FCT and the Area Councils auxiliary matters, as well as the Director-General, Debt Management Office, for their unwavering support in the course of completing the projects.

He, however, regretted that the project was awarded 11 years ago, but was just seeing the light of the day, because of the President’s vision to make FCT residents feel comfortable, by bringing back their hope.

He revealed: “The cost of this project as at when it was awarded was ₦39.8 billion, but in 2021, it was revised to ₦59.8 billion, and it was not easy knowing fully well what we do under the TSA.
It was very difficult for us to have finished this project, but by Mr. President allowing us to pull out from TSA, it became easy for us to access funds and pay the contractors.”

Wike stated that contractors, who did not have confidence in government are now writing to plead, saying: “We know you will pay, give us jobs.”

Also speaking at the occasion, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, after thanking the President, National Assembly members and every other stakeholder, stated that it was “On record that the increased accessibility provided by this expanded Inner Southern Expressway from the Outer Southern Expressway has facilitated economic growth and development in our nation’s capital city.”

Giving the project overview, Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Shehu Hadi-Ahmed stated that the OSEX forms one of the roads defining the Federal Capital City on the southern flank, while on the northern flank, it is the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX), populaly known as Murtala Muhammed Expressway (Kubwa Road).

The Executive Secretary informed that OSEX stretches about 6.7 kilometers from the Villa Roundabout upto Gwagwalada, linking with the Federal Highway; adding that the Interchange has already been developed by the Federal Ministry of Works.

He disclosed that OSEX’s counter part, the already fully developed 38 kilometers Murtala Muhammed Expressway takes from the same Villa Roundabout to Zuba, a suburb of Abuja.