FCT minister Nyesom Wike has promised to carry on with the demolition of property in Abuja deemed illegal despite public condemnation.

On whether the outcry over ongoing demolition and enforcement of ground rent may cause a huge distraction in 2025, Mr Wike said, “Nothing distracts me. I am very focused.”

Mr Wike stated this after he inspected the ongoing construction of Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and Saburi – Dei Dei road, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The former Rivers governor added, “Even if people are complaining, it is part of governance. You don’t expect that you will superintend over the affairs of people and then you satisfy everybody. People must complain, but I can tell you such complaints cannot distract us. I am very focused, and since it is part of our job, we will continue to do what is necessary.

“Forget about what people say about demolition, demolition must go ahead. We demolish shanties, we demolish illegal buildings. It doesn’t matter what anybody will say. At the end of the day, they will still come back to say, ‘You did a good job.’”

“So, don’t bother about what people say, be focused and at the end of the day, you will achieve results for a greater number of people, not for a few individuals.”

The FCT minister said his administration would do more for Abuja residents in 2025. According to him, things will get better for the residents in 2025.

“All we still require is the support of residents of business owners so that we can achieve more than what we have achieved in 2024. So, I pray that God Almighty will continue to protect us and give us better security as we experienced in 2024.

“Everybody can see, even within this festive period, security is quite intact, and we believe in 2025, we will get a better Abuja,” said Mr Wike.

(NAN)