Senator Ireti Kingibe has launched a scathing criticism against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, accusing him of deliberately making life difficult for Abuja residents since taking office.
In a recent interview with Channels Television, Kingibe claimed that Wike has consistently failed to prioritize the needs of the majority of FCT residents, focusing instead on projects that offer limited benefits to ordinary citizens.
"Yes, he's building roads, but we don't have public transport. So the bulk of Abuja residents do not benefit from the roads," the senator stated, questioning the practical impact of the minister's infrastructure initiatives.
Kingibe further criticized Wike's development priorities, particularly questioning the relevance of projects like the International Conference Centre (ICC) amid growing security concerns and reports that Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) workers are experiencing salary delays.
The senator highlighted what she described as a particularly troubling decision regarding street maintenance workers. "The women who were sweeping the streets, they have done so through several ministers. Their situation was always protected because they were indigent women, widows," she explained.
According to Kingibe, previous ministers had maintained this arrangement as a form of social support for vulnerable women. "It was our way of ensuring that they got... so whenever any minister comes along and wants to replace them with street sweepers, the trucks, we talk to him and say, no, we need them to do this. He leaves it," she said.
However, she claims Wike took a different approach: "The current minister came without consultation with anybody. He, in fact, not without consultation. In spite of imploration, he fired them all. He has not replaced them with anything."
Summarizing her assessment of Wike's tenure, Kingibe concluded: "So we FCT has had a minister who most FCT residents will say, came to what made life as difficult as possible."
This criticism comes amid ongoing tensions between the senator and the minister over FCT governance and development priorities. The dispute highlights broader questions about urban planning, social welfare, and administrative priorities in Nigeria's capital territory.
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