Wike Inaugurates Dunamis-Built Pedestrian Bridge in Abuja, Recalls Delayed Approval

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has inaugurated a pedestrian bridge constructed by Dunamis International Gospel Centre in Abuja, while recounting how the church waited several years to obtain government approval for the project.

Wike spoke on Friday at the inauguration ceremony, where he acknowledged the church’s efforts to secure permission to build the bridge.

The minister said Dunamis first applied for approval in 2018 but did not receive a response until February 2026, when the church sent a reminder about its application.

He explained that the approval was granted within a month of the reminder, highlighting the delay between the initial application and the eventual authorisation.

“You applied for approval to build this pedestrian bridge in 2018. It was in February 2026 when you sent a reminder about the application you made in 2018. It didn’t take you more than a month after that reminder, and you got the approval,” Wike said.

The FCT minister urged Nigerians to acknowledge government efforts when officials deliver on their responsibilities, while continuing to hold them accountable when they fail to meet expectations.

“If a government does well, say they’ve done well. If they’ve not done well, you can say we’re looking forward to you doing this,” he added.

Founder of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Pastor Paul Enenche, thanked Wike for granting the approval. He said the church had made unsuccessful efforts to obtain permission for the pedestrian bridge for six years before approval was eventually secured in 2026.

The ceremony also featured an exchange between Wike and Enenche over the minister’s remarks about politics. Wike said he had been asked not to campaign at the event but argued that discussing governance was part of politics.

He further pointed out that Enenche also spoke about bad governance during church sermons, making the distinction between political campaigning and discussions about how government performs.