Tag: Nyesom Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, as a man of character and integrity.

Wike gave the commendation on Saturday during the celebration of Senator Anyanwu’s 60th birthday and the public presentation of a book titled “Sam Daddy in My Eyes” held in Abuja.

In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the Minister also pledged his continued support for the PDP scribe.

Wike said, “My friends and I congratulate you on your 60th birthday and for your victory as the substantive national secretary of the PDP.

“I am happy with the crowd I am seeing here. It shows you’re a man of the people.

“Let me assure you, for people like us, we will stand with you; we will continue to be with you. It doesn’t matter what people will say.”

He told Anyanwu to walk with his head high, having emerged victorious and never beg anyone, nor honour anybody’s invitation.

“Nobody fights a war, wins the war and begs. You have won, the people concerned should come and talk to you and not invite you.

“You don’t fight a war and win, and then people will say come, no, tell them, you, come to me.

“You have people like me, so don’t be afraid; I am here. We have done it before; we will do it again. Some people will not be happy; I am happy.

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“When e dey pain them, e de sweet us, as e dey sweet us e de pain them,” he said.

Wike stressed that; “what makes a man is his character and not how much money he has or the food he provides. If you don’t have character, go to hell with your food”.

He said he had always told people to try and show where they stand, and recalled advising Anyanwu to stand firm on the PDP’s Secretary’s crisis because some people were not straightforward.

“Some people are going right, they are going left, they are going front and they are going backwards.

“What they say in the morning, what they say in the afternoon, is it what they will say in the night?

“So I warned him, if you know you will not stand firm, say it now. I also asked him, are you sure you can stand this fight?

“A fight where virtually everybody, including governors, is fighting you, will not be easy, but if you stand firm, you will win.

“However, if you begin to go left and you go right, not only will you lose, you will suffer and he assured me that he will stand firm and will not change,” he said.

The minister, who said he likes people who are consistent in life, praised Anyanwu for being consistent saying, “You have shown me, with what had just happened recently, that you are a man that will stand by his words”.

He equally commended former Senate President Bukola Saraki for attesting to Anyanwu’s steadfastness as a man of his word.

“His mother called me the other day and said ‘my son, I am happy that people like you will take decisions, stand firm and swear not to be disgraced.

“This is what we are talking about, people of character. You don’t buy it in the market,” he said.

As the strike by health and education workers across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) enters its fourth month, civil society organisations have raised the alarm over the escalating human cost and long-term damage to society.

In an open appeal addressed to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Area Council Chairmen, National Assembly members representing the FCT, and relevant secretariat heads, a coalition of over 40 pressure groups and well-meaning individuals urged immediate dialogue with striking workers to resolve their grievances and prevent future disruptions.

“True leadership is not in shifting blame but in rising to the occasion to protect those most affected by this crisis, our children, our sick, and our poor,” the statement read.

Under the aegis of the FCT Civil Society Organisations Accountability Mechanism Network (FCT-CAM), the civil society actors demanded that the Minister of the FCT exercises his authority to facilitate a swift and lasting resolution.

The six Area Council chairmen were also urged to act in good faith and prioritise the welfare of citizens above political calculations.

Furthermore, legislators were called upon to leverage their oversight functions and representative powers to push for urgent resolution and policy safeguards.

“This is no longer just an administrative issue; it is a test of our collective conscience. The time for excuses is over. The time for decisive leadership is now,” they said.

The coalition warned that each passing day of inaction endangers lives, jeopardises the futures of children, and constitutes a dangerous failure of governance.

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They called on political and administrative leaders to act with urgency and moral responsibility, describing the continued paralysis of essential services as “an unacceptable mortgage on the future of the FCT.”

According to FCT-CAM, which coordinated the appeal, the prolonged strike has left thousands of children locked out of classrooms, with no access to public education.

It noted that as public frustration deepens and the most vulnerable continue to bear the brunt of the deadlock, all eyes are now on the FCT leadership to show that governance can still mean responsibility, responsiveness, and care.

“Our children are roaming the streets. Their learning has been halted. The educational divide between the rich and the poor is widening by the day,” the group said, warning that the consequences of educational disruption at this scale could reverberate for generations.

The appeal was signed by a network of development, health, education, gender, and youth-focused organisations, including the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), Basic Rights Watch, Centre for Accountability and Inclusive Development, and Health Education Agriculture Development Africa Initiative (HEARD Africa).

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday vowed to provide critical infrastructure in Wassa District to facilitate the relocation of Apo Mechanics traders and dealers.

Wike stated this while inaugurating a committee to facilitate the relocation of the traders and dealers to their permanent site in Wassa District.

The Minister, said he would chair the committee. 

Other members are the Director of Survey and Director of Resettlement and Compensation.

Wike noted that several administrations had promised to evacuate the traders and dealers occupying a section of the Outer Southern Expressway corridor to their permanent site in Wassa but failed.

He added tthe President Bola Tinubu administration had promised to relocate the traders and dealers, adding that the administration had begun processes to fulfil the promise.

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“It’s been promise on promise since 2011 without fulfilment, but Tinubu has promised, and the process has begun.

“As part of the process, on June 27, together with the leaders of Apo Mechanics, we will all visit Wassa, to see the permanent site for the relocation.

“This will enable us to decide on the needed critical infrastructure to be put in place to facilitate your relocation.

“This collective effort is to ensure that Tinubu’s promise is fulfilled,” he said.

The Minister advised the traders and the dealers against fighting among themselves, stressing that they would achieve more if they work together.

He said one of the businesses of the government was to make people happy, adding that the FCT Administration would do everything possible to make the Apo traders and dealers happy.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday defended the FCTA’s proposed N1.78 trillion 2025 statutory budget before the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on the FCT at the National Assembly.

In separate presentations, Wike highlighted that a significant 72.30 per cent of the total proposed budget, amounting to N1,289,690,124,776, was earmarked for capital expenditure while the remaining 27.70 percent, totaling N494,133,583,616 was for recurrent expenditure.

A detailed overview of the capital budget estimates presented by the Minister revealed key allocations of N80 billion for SUKUK loan projects, N25 billion for the Abuja Light Rail project, N15 billion for Abuja Greater Water Supply, and N250 billion from commercial loans to complete ongoing capital projects in the FCC and satellite towns. 

The remaining N919,690,124,776 was dedicated to the completion of ongoing capital projects and counterpart-funded initiatives aimed at boosting socio-economic activities across the FCT.

Further breakdown of the capital expenditure showed that N801.5 billion was allocated to the FCDA, N137 billion to the STDD, and N351.2 billion to other Secretariats, Departments, and Agencies (SDAs) for their capital expenditures and select new projects.

Wike emphasised that the 2025 capital budget priorities the completion of critical ongoing infrastructure projects. 

These include the completion of roads B6 and B12, full scope development of Arterial Road N20, provision of engineering infrastructure to Guzape, Wuye, and Maitama II Districts, extension of Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX), and full scope development of FCT Highway 105 (Kuje Road).

Other vital projects are the construction of Northern Parkway from Ring Road II to Ring Road III, full scope development of Arterial Road N20 from Arterial Road N5, rehabilitation of Old Keffi Road, full scope development of Arterial Road N1, and provision of access roads to Bus Terminals. 

Additionally, the upgrading of Ushafa War College/Army Check Point Road, the construction of Pai-Gomani Road, and dualization of Kuje-Gwagwalada road are also included.

On recurrent expenditure, N150,353,906,168 (8.43 percent of the total) was proposed for personnel costs, while overhead cost was allocated N343,779,448 (19.27 percent).

Sectoral highlights of the FCT’s 2025 statutory budget proposal showed that infrastructural sector (Roads, Districts Development and Public Buildings) was allocated the sum of N383.5 billion, Transportation sector has a provision of the sum of N79.3 billion, education sector has a budgetary proposal of N181 billion while the health sector has a proposed sum of N54 billion in the year 2025.

Other sectors, such has environment, was allocated the sum of N22.9 billion, Water sector got the sum of N37.4 billion, agriculture got the sum of N8.3 billion, social development sector got the sum of N23.7 billion, legal services got N7.7 billion, land administration got N1.5 billion while Area Councils Services Secretariat was allocated the sum of N3.1 billion.

The Minister also outlined the FCT’s 2025 revenue fiscal framework, comprising distributable revenue of N1,392,573,937,087 and non-distributable revenue of N391,249,771,305. 

Revenue sources include proceeds from the 1 per cent of the 52.68 percent statutory allocation of the Federal Government from the Federation Account, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and other sources as detailed in the Revenue Fiscal Framework.

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Wike reiterated the FCT Administration’s commitment to completing ongoing projects, many of which were initiated by previous administrations. 

He expressed the current administration’s determination to see the projects to conclusion.

The Minister acknowledged and commended the consistent support of the National Assembly to the FCT Administration, specifically praising the swift consideration of the 2025 statutory budget proposal. 

“It’s not been long that Mr. President sent this to you and expeditiously, you’ve done the first and second reading and now we are in Committee stage. It has never happened. Since your inception, you have always given us that support. We have never suffered any delay in budget passage. We want to say that we will not take this for granted. We will continue to cooperate with you for the development of the FCT,” he stated, while urging for an accelerated passage of the FCT’s 2025 statutory budget proposal.

He also informed the lawmakers about the upcoming inauguration of completed infrastructure projects in the city center and satellite towns. 

He informed the inaugurations were scheduled to take place over 19 days, commencing on June 10, 2025, to commemorate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second anniversary in office. 

Wike invitated the lawmakers to attend the significant events.