FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has criticised Senator Ireti Kingibe over her handling of issues affecting the Federal Capital Territory, saying the lawmaker should focus on her legislative responsibilities rather than seeking attention on television.
Wike, who spoke to journalists on Tuesday, rejected Kingibe’s call for a working relationship with the FCT Administration, saying the National Assembly was her primary platform to address problems affecting residents.
“If she knows that there’s a problem, she’s the one who makes the law. National Assembly is her own house of assembly. Why should she every time, ‘working with her, working with her, working with her’? I was not appointed to work with only one particular person. I work with everybody, you know. So, I’m not concerned.”
The minister accused the senator of turning to the media ahead of the election rather than accounting to her constituents on her performance at the National Assembly.
“I don’t blame her now, because she has almost lost the election. All she’s doing next is to see whether she can get the people. Go and talk to the people! Tell them what you are doing in National Assembly! Tell them the bill you have proposed for the benefit of the residents of Abuja!”
Wike said effective representation required lawmakers to raise the concerns of their constituents on the floor of the National Assembly, propose legislation and maintain direct engagement with the people.
“You see, as a legislator, for example, I represent the people. They must see you talk in the floor as per their own interest. They must see you propose a bill that will enable them to survive. Right? It’s not when anything happens, you come to television, you dress in such a way that is not even your own tradition to dress, to curry favor.”
He also rejected the suggestion that he needed to work with Kingibe to address issues within the FCT, saying lawmakers should use their legislative powers to tackle problems they identify.
“I’m not going to work with her. There’s no working with, because, you see, when you have laid a bad foundation, it is difficult to turn around. It’s very difficult.”
According to him, a lawmaker who identifies a problem affecting constituents should take it to Parliament rather than seeking meetings with the minister or other government officials.
“Because if you’re a lawmaker and you have identified problems as affect the people you represent, as a lawmaker, what you do is to tell members of the parliament, ‘This is the problem of my people.’ You go on and go to your constituency, dialogue with them, discuss with them, you go back to them. Not that, ‘I want to see the Minister, I want to see the Governor.’ what is that?”
Wike further dismissed the impact of Kingibe’s media appearances, saying residents had already formed their opinion about her performance.
“So, you have done nothing, and the people know you have done nothing. Even if you like, criticize. As far as this flooding is concerned, the people have made up their mind that you failed. So, if you like, appear in Channels 20 times, appear in Arise 55 times. It will not change the mindset of the people.”
