FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said his inclusion as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa Gubernatorial Campaign Council may be the handiwork of mischief makers in the ruling party who were not dissatisfied with his appointment as minister.
Wike, said this on Thursday, during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today,’ even though the APC National Chairman, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, had refuted the advert which listed the former River State Governor as a member of Bayelsa gubernatorial campaign council.
The minister however, insisted he was still a member of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), although he is serving in the ruling party as a minister.
“You must know politics. That today I am the FCT Minister is not what you think. There are some APC chiefs that are not happy with it. Yes, some people can play some funny politics, put my name there and say let his party think he is a member of this party.
“At my level, do I look like somebody who will do something and hide it? In this country today do I need to play games? It does not mean anything. Whenever I want to do anything I will do,” Wike queried.
He said he was not formally consulted to serve on the APC Bayelsa gubernatorial council, wondering why his name was included when he was not a member of the ruling party.
He also said his party, the PDP, neither consulted him before also listing him as a member of the gubernatorial council for Bayelsa state.
He said: “Though PDP put my name in Bayelsa, they did not tell me. Look, I am not a kid. You don’t railroad me anyhow. If l want to play a role in anything I will play a role.”
When his reaction was sought about the possibility of him working for the PDP in Bayelsa governorship election he said: “There are so many things PDP must correct before I accept. Certainly, yes”.
He said the party must apologise to him and other aggrieved party members as a condition for peace to return to the party.
He also revealed that he decided to join President Bola Tinubu administration because he believed in equity fairness and justice.
“What is new now and everybody talking that I am serving in APC government. I was in PDP, I supported Ahmed Bola Tinubu, yes, did l hide it?” Wike said.
Wike reiterated his membership of the PDP, pointing out that governance was not about political party, but serving the people.
He recalled that when then President Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP in 1999, saw great potential in the late Bola Ige, then of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), he brought him into his cabinet and appointed him as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Wike also stressed that no one could discipline him or suspend him from the PDP on account of his acceptance to serve as minister in an APC-led federal government.
He claimed Tinubu has already given him a template of what he wants in Abuja, and “I want to support Asiwaju to finish well”.
He added that he felt at home working with the president who has given me the courage, describing Tinubu as a man who means well for the country.
“I am not here to work for a party, but to support a president who has the confidence in me to help him to deliver the ‘Renewed Hope.’ I owe nobody any apology at all. I was in PDP. I worked for Ahmed Bola Tinubu to be President of Nigeria.”
Wike also said Tinubu has the necessary capacity to face the daunting challenges in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Wike, who urged for a change of mindset against the Tinubu administration also solicited support for the Renewed Hope project of the president, assuring that within the next eight months Nigerians would begin to enjoy the metro-line project as promised by the administration.
According to Wike, who has spent barely one week in office as minister, “things are very bad”, at the FCT, “with projects littered everywhere, sanitation not getting desired attention”.
Besides, the former Governor of Rivers State, disclosed that there was an, “$800 million garnishee order against the FCT,” which he hopes to appeal when he fully settles into office.
“We are faced with the problem of land racketeering,” he said, a contract of N20 billion at the initial stage has risen up to N180 billion today.
Nevertheless, Wike told his host that, “we have capacity to face the challenges”, as plans are ongoing to set up a strong legal team that believes we should succeed.”
According to him, Tinubu being aware of the rot in the capital city gave him a marching order to “bring back the city”, adding that the president few days ago told him, “my landlord, I want to ride on your metro-line,” signalling the importance the president places on the project.
“This is a project the president has told me is in his heart, so we are going to do everything to make sure that we accomplish it”, Wike assured.
While observing that the necessary funding for the project was not a problem, the minister disclosed that the only challenge now was that of the rescheduling of operational cost which would be resolved in a few days.
He added that once resolved, the project would be completed, “within the next eight months…..by this time next year.”
Meanwhile, he reiterated the resolve of his administration to pull down buildings distorting the original master plan of the FCT.
According to him, notice of demolition has already been served to the affected persons and they have started moving out, adding that the culprits are the rich and influential but he was ready to do his job irrespective of who might be involved.
He claimed Tinubu chose him for the job despite their different political parties because he was courageous and shared the same vision with him for the FCT.
Earlier on Wednesday, Wike disclosed that there was a garnishee order of $800 million against the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
He said the order was adversely affecting the financial health of the administration and the ability of FCTA to fund projects.
The garnishee order was given by a high court in favour of an unnamed party for breach of obligations.
He said such was the scale of the garnishee order on the FCT economy, that the amount awarded was enough to fund the budget of the FCTA over ten years.
The minister told journalists that the situation was so bad that the FCT economy could be described as “dead”
He vowed to take serious actions against very highly placed persons whose actions were producing a negative impact on the FCTA.
“We are coming out to tell the people that see what is on ground, see what we have seen. I was telling the permanent secretary this morning, how can there be a garnishing order of $800m against the FCTA?
“How do you survive from it? Who are those responsible for this? That there are no projects in the territory, everything has been abandoned. There is a garnishing of $800 million.
“Do you know what we are talking about? How do we survive it? Go and see what happened? Garnishee orders here and there. The place is just corrupt. The Auditor General will talk to me later. It is terrible. How do we survive it?
“Then you now said that we have come that we should do miracles, which miracle? Where will I get the money to go and pay $800m?” Wike said.
He lamented that the FCTA has only received N1 billion out of the N15 billion appropriated for it in 2023.
“If you do not tell the public what is on ground, the public will not appreciate it. So, Nigerians will know what is going on. If you see the rots, these are things you should highlight and tell the world. But we cannot run away, we have to solve the big challenges. That is what we are here for.
“The president did not bring us here to begin to say you are my brother or sister. He was brought here because things are bad, come and help us to see how we can change it. But we will try as much as we can to make the changes, with the support of everybody,” Wike said.
Olawale Ajimotokan and Alex Enuma
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