The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike has implored President Bola Tinubu to name two roads in Guzape Districts of Abuja after Chinua Achebe and J. P. Clerk.
The minister made the request on Saturday, during the inauguration of Guzape Lot II Engineering Infrastructure by Tinubu in commemoration of his one year in office.
“I want to appeal to you, just like what you did last time when you approved the naming of Arterial N-20 Road after Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
“There are a lot of Nigerians who also have in one way, or the other, made their own contributions, particularly in literary works.
“So many of them have made Nigeria proud. People like Chinua Achebe; people like J. P. Clerk.
“Your excellency, I want to appeal to you to name this road after Chinua Achebe and another road within the same district after J. P. Clerk,” Wike said.
According to Wike, Guzape is one of the biggest districts and fast developing in FCT.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Shehu Ahmad noted that the entire Guzape District covered an area of about 1,070 hectares.
He explained that Lot I, with a covering of 450 hectares is being executed by Dantata and Sawoe, while Lot II covering 620 hectares is being successfully executed by Gilmor Engineering.
“The district is meant to provide services to about 1,017 plots of various usage and sizes – residential, commercial, as well as parks and recreation.
“The lot II we are inaugurating today covers 561 plots out of the 1,017 plots.
“The Lot II has 31.3 kilometers network of roads, out of the 73 kilometres of roads in the entire district, while the one being executed by Dantata and Sawoe is about 30 kilomtres.
“The remaining ones were encumbered by village obstruction areas.” He said.
Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist and poet, often regarded as a pioneer of modern African literature. In the West, he is often referred to as the “father of African literature”.
John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, popularized as J.P Clark was a Nigerian playwright and poet. He also held visiting professorial appointments at various universities, including Yale University in the U.S.A.
