The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that no amount of blackmail, smear campaigns, or sponsored protests would deter him from delivering infrastructure and development to the people of Abuja.
Wike made the declaration on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Phase 2 Water Project in Abuja.
The minister said he had observed a series of media reports alleging debts owed to “local contractors,” but stressed that many of such claims were illegitimate and borne out of corrupt practices by civil servants who awarded contracts without ministerial approval.
“Let anybody who says I awarded them contracts bring the documents. Many of the so-called debts were generated by civil servants who sat in their offices awarding contracts of N10 million, N15 million, or N20 million without approval.
Now they want to blackmail the Minister into paying. Certainly, that will not happen. Nobody can intimidate me. This is corruption fighting back against my reforms, but I will defeat it,” Wike said.
He explained that under his leadership, the FCT Administration has prioritized channeling funds into meaningful capital projects that directly benefit residents, rather than wasting resources on frivolous recurrent expenditure.
According to him, before his assumption of office, the FCT’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) stood at about N9 billion monthly but has now risen to over N30 billion.
“If we were not prudent, how would we have been able to fund the massive infrastructure we are commissioning today? Those protesting are not genuine contractors.
Look at their faces—do they look like those who built the roads we are commissioning? They were sponsored by those who benefitted from past corruption,” he said.
The minister further accused previous administrations of diverting funds to wasteful expenses, including excessive foreign trips and inflated procurement of items such as computers, while abandoning critical projects across the FCT.
“This is not a beauty contest. I am not here to be loved. Carry your love and go, I want results. The only love I want is for residents to feel the impact of governance—roads, schools, hospitals, water, and security. That is development,” Wike said.
Reflecting on his public service record, Wike insisted he has always resisted vested interests and power brokers.
“From my days as a council chairman till now, I have never allowed anyone to dictate to me. Pray 24 hours, it won’t change anything. What is right will be done, and what is wrong will not pass. Abuja must change, and we will change it,” he stated.
Wike concluded by affirming that his administration would be remembered for restoring fiscal discipline, blocking wastage, and redirecting resources into tangible development that improves the quality of life for residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
