The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, says his administration has reversed years of wasteful governance by cutting down recurrent expenditure and allocating 70 percent of the FCT budget to capital projects in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Phase II rehabilitation of the Lower Usman Dam in Ushafa, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, on Tuesday, Wike declared that the reforms were designed to end frivolous spending and redirect resources into infrastructure and essential services that touch the lives of residents.
He accused some civil servants of diverting funds through the award of frivolous contracts worth between ₦5 million and ₦25 million without ministerial approval. Describing the practice as wasteful, he vowed to dismantle such avenues of corruption.
“Buying computers every year and foreign trips will not solve our problems. What will help is the development of our people—roads, schools, water, and security. That is what is important,” Wike said.
On the controversy over alleged unpaid indigenous contractors, the Minister insisted he would not yield to blackmail or approve payments for irregularly awarded jobs.
“When you want to fight corruption, corruption will fight you back. But we will defeat corruption. If anybody says I awarded a contract, let them bring the documents. I will not be intimidated,” he declared.
Responding to critics who accuse the FCTA of focusing only on roads, Wike stressed that the administration was also prioritizing education. He directed the Secretary of Education to publish a comprehensive list of completed, renovated, and ongoing schools across the FCT.
