By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has advised the House Committee on Area Councils and Ancillary Matters to concentrate on their primary role of overseeing the functions of the area councils, instead of encroaching on the responsibilities of the executive.
The minister who gave the advice amid the prolonged strike by Local Education Authority, LEA, teachers, expressed disappointment that the lawmakers failed to call the council chairmen to order, despite the continued closure of public primary schools in the FCT.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, after inspecting ongoing projects across the territory, the minister accused the lawmakers of trying to cause discord within the FCT Administration.
“That is what the chairman of House Committee of the National Assembly has to look at the problem in the area councils. But it’s unfortunate they concentrate in just inviting minister to come and defend. I’ve never seen in my life where the minister has defended a budget and another House Committee chairman of area councils will tell another Minister of State to come and present a budget.
“People don’t do what they’re supposed to do. They concentrate on things that do not fall within their jurisdiction. By now, I thought that the chairman of the FCT area councils would have come up to say, chairmen of area councils, this is not right. What do we need to solve this problem? But they will focus on irrelevant things, trying to see how there’s division, there’s discord in the FCT.”
While making reference to the invitation recently extended to the FCT Minister of State to defend the area council budget, Wike said the move was improper and amounted to legislative overreach.
“I’ve never seen in my life where a minister has defended a budget, and another House Committee Chairman on Area Councils will tell the Minister of State to come and present a budget. People don’t do what they’re supposed to do. They concentrate on things that do not fall within their jurisdiction.”
On the prolonged strike by Local Education Authority teachers, Wike assured that efforts are underway to resolve the matter.
“All I would say is they were elected and not appointed. So we have been talking to them to understand that this is democracy. One thing you must know is that denying people education is like trying to say you’re causing a coup in the country or in the FCT,” he said.
He added that, “Be assured that everything is being done to see that the teachers go back. Very soon, this problem should be sorted out, because nobody can feel happy when the teachers are at home. It is the basic thing that we must do and I can assure you very soon that matter will be resolved.”
