The newly appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesome Wike has dismissed any possibility of his likely defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress as being speculated in some quarters.
Wike, who is the only member of the opposition party in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, said he was in the FCT to deliver the dividend of democracy and return the territory to its glory days.
The minister in his maiden media briefing rolled out a 10-point agenda with focus on issues of Security, City Sanitation, Preservation of the Abuja Master Plan, infrastructure development, restoration of Green Areas, removal of shanties, blocking of revenue leakages, ground rents payment, among other deliverables.
The minister who was responding to questions on the party flags he is likely to fly as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said FCT residents should be more worried about burning issues needing urgent intervention and not the party flag he will be flying.
“Why should anyone be bothered about what party flag I will be flying? Bring PDP flag, I will fly it, bring Labour Party flag, I will fly it. The FCT has is in this state, and you think the people are bothered about the party flag I fly? I will fly the Nigerian flag and ensure the FCT returns to the dreams of the founding fathers.
“We will bring FCT back to where it ought to be. So many people have complained that this is not the FCT of the founding fathers. We must tackle the issue of insecurity. FCT should be where people come for holidays.”
He warned that the administration under his leadership will not take excuses from security agencies as they will be provided with the required tools to work as the issue of security is germane.
The minister also disclosed that he would sanitise the city and end the raise of slums and shanties across the city.
“Abuja has turned to a slum city. Sanitation is bad with refuse everywhere. We can not allow that. We will look at issues of waste disposal.”
“If you know you have built where it’s not supposed to build, it will go down. Our green areas and parks must come back
“Land racketeering days are over. Those who refuse to develop turning to land speculators will lose their lands.”
“All these are our short-term deliverables so as to bring back people’s confidence in government,” the minister stated.
