The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says no interest group will be allowed to sabotage the Abuja master plan.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday morning, Wike stood firm on recent land revocations and infrastructure reforms. He said they are needed to stop the misuse of government assets.
“For the past 20 years, the government has provided infrastructure for people to come and invest. And I told you that nothing has happened. What you were doing was to consume that,” he said.
Many plots allocated decades ago remain untouched, he added. Meanwhile, public infrastructure built with taxpayers’ money is decaying.
Abuja Master Plan Won’t Be Compromised, Says Wike
“Who do you call an investor? Where is the money for 20 years? Not one block has been put on land, and you use government land. So that makes you an investor? That is not correct,” he said.
Wike said large portions of land have been reclaimed from absentee developers who took allocations but never developed them. One such case involved 500 hectares of land.
“Somebody took 500 hectares of land for housing. What is housing? You give me a share of land, not to say if this is not done, the land goes back to government,” he explained.
The minister said such acts were part of how individuals used public land to enrich themselves. “If you see what I do today, I have changed that pattern.”
He blamed some officials in the FCT Administration and legal departments for aiding illegal land deals. According to him, shady approvals and backdoor settlements had undermined the city’s master plan.
“The master plan is a document. If you say here is a green area, it is meant to be green. But somebody in government comes in — a director in the ministry, or in the FCDA — plays his game,” Wike said.
He accused the legal unit of conceding court cases that favour these illegal allocations. “Even if you want to stop it, the legal unit has already conceded to the case. How do you fight that?”
No Tokenism in Investment, He Warns
Reacting to the controversy around Abuja Technology Village, Wike dismissed complaints from the affected parties. He said government showed good faith for over 20 years but got nothing in return.
“I am the minister of the city. Abuja Technology Village is a creation of the city. Nobody is going to cut me out. Who is Abuja Technology Village?” he asked.
“For 20 years, nothing happened. What you were doing was to consume the land. Is that the investment you are talking about?”
The minister said investments must be backed with results, not just signed papers. “Investing a billion dollars in an economy — what benefit will it give you? So many things. Look at the great success of what we did. How the economy will change.”
He also took a swipe at politicians who question development efforts for selfish reasons. “Some politicians ask questions: ‘If you don’t do this, then I’ll go back.’ That’s not my business. My business is to do what is right.”
Wike maintained that he was not out to witch-hunt anyone, but to deliver results. “I will not be minister forever, but I will do the right thing. At the time I came, I tried to correct certain things. Posterity will judge.”
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