Abuja — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, on Thursday appealed to workers across the territory to embrace peace, dialogue and progressive thinking, warning that disobedience to court orders and actions capable of disrupting governance would not be tolerated.
Wike made the call in Abuja during the presentation of 12 ambulances to General Hospitals in the FCT, an intervention aimed at strengthening emergency healthcare delivery and improving response time in the nation’s capital.
“I appeal to all of you to reconsider and allow peace to reign for the development of our city. Forget blocking gates or saying you will not obey court orders. This country is governed by law,” the minister said.
He emphasized that while his administration remains open to dialogue, it would not allow any individual or group to threaten stability in the FCT. “We did not take laws into our hands. All we said was let us go to court and see who is right and who is wrong. But nobody should threaten the existence of anybody,” Wike warned.
Defending reforms introduced under his leadership, the FCT Minister said his administration had addressed long-standing structural imbalances in the civil service, particularly in career progression.
“When this vision came, I said you cannot retire people as directors without giving them hope of becoming permanent secretaries or even head of service. Today, the staff are the ones enjoying it,” he said.
Wike, however, expressed concern over what he described as deliberate resistance from some quarters determined to frustrate genuine reforms. “The problem is that some people do not want political leaders to improve the lives of the people. I challenge anybody,” he declared.
The minister also shed light on the financial realities confronting the FCT, noting that the territory receives only one per cent of the Federal Government’s monthly allocation.
“If the Federal Government gets ₦1 trillion, the FCT gets one per cent, which is ₦10 billion. But salaries alone today are not less than ₦12 billion,” he said, explaining that improving Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) became inevitable.
According to Wike, monthly IGR in the FCT increased from about ₦9 billion when he assumed office to over ₦30 billion. “That is what performance means. From that ₦30 billion, we augment salaries, invest in infrastructure, buy ambulances, rehabilitate schools and construct roads,” he stated.
He stressed that prudent financial management was critical to development. “Nobody can pay all allowances and wages, buy vehicles, construct roads and rehabilitate schools at the same time without proper planning. You don’t print money,” he added.
Wike urged workers at all levels—senior and junior, indigenous and non-indigenous—to support government efforts, assuring them that no one would be denied their legitimate entitlements.
“Mr President is doing the best he can. But the future of this country is on all of us. Support government by being progressive-minded,” he appealed.
On healthcare delivery, the minister said the 12 ambulances symbolise the administration’s commitment to improving emergency response and saving lives across the FCT, urging health workers to deploy the vehicles efficiently for the benefit of residents.
The event marked another milestone in the FCT Administration’s drive to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure while reinforcing its call for unity, peace and cooperation in building a more functional and resilient capital city.
