A Civil Society Organisation, the **Centre for Transparency and Accountability**, has praised the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as a significant value addition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the group’s president, Moses Adam, expressed gratitude to the President for choosing competence over political affiliations when appointing Wike to lead the FCT.
Adam highlighted the unusual nature of Wike’s appointment, stating, “It is not common for a President to pick a Minister outside the fold of his party but Asiwaju Tinubu did it. Today, Nigeria is good for it and we are happy.”
He also noted that Wike’s impact had revived the presence of government in FCT’s satellite towns, which had largely been neglected since the tenure of former FCT Minister Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
“The last time satellite towns and villages in the FCT had a feeling of government presence was in the era of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Successive administrations concentrated on the city centre as if residents of satellite towns were not part of the FCT,” Adam remarked.
“Today, Mr Wike has given us back our belief in the strength of the nation’s capital. The work he is doing is commendable. We are proud of him and we again thank Mr President for the confidence he has in the Minister.”
Reflecting on the progress made since Wike’s appointment, Adam stated, “For eight years of the previous administration, we couldn’t see a sign of work done. It was like the proverbial slogan of motion without movement. In a little over a year, changes are noticeable even to the blind. I am sure that if you ask Nigerians to rate the Ministers based on their performances, Wike will top the chart.”
The group also lauded Wike’s efforts in enhancing security in the FCT, especially through the provision of logistical support to security agencies. “The massive logistic support given to the security agencies is yielding dividends. The night patrol by Policemen has reduced criminality in the FCT,” Adam noted.
In addition to praising Wike’s leadership, the Centre for Transparency and Accountability commended the National Assembly for its collaboration with the executive in quickly passing the 2024 statutory and supplementary budgets for the FCT.
Adam expressed his appreciation, saying, “Without the support of the 10th National Assembly, we won’t be here celebrating successes. We thank our lawmakers in both chambers for having the masses in their thought. We urge them to continue to work together with the executive in the interest of our nation.”
