The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has come under fire from Senator Ireti Kingibe, a senatorial aspirant in the recently concluded FCT Senate primary election on the Labour Party platform. Kingibe, who displaced Philip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused Wike of failing to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the nation’s capital.
Speaking on an ARISE Television program, Kingibe stated that while Wike has inaugurated several infrastructure projects, they do not benefit the masses. She argued that the FCT Minister, unlike other ministers, has a unique responsibility to consider the needs of the people in addition to infrastructure development.
“The minister may be a great minister in a ministry that has no people. But the unique situation of the FCT minister is that apart from infrastructure and roads, he also has to take into consideration the needs of the people in that community,” Kingibe said.
The senator-elect further criticized Wike’s priorities, stating that the people are not impressed by the roads in affluent areas like Maitama and the Central District, as the majority of residents do not live there. She emphasized that the people have pressing needs, such as access to water, which could have prevented the recent fire incident in Karu.
Kingibe’s comments have struck a chord with many FCT residents who feel that their needs have been neglected in favor of flashy infrastructure projects. The senator-elect’s victory on the Labour Party platform is seen as a rebuke of the current administration’s approach to governance in the FCT.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has not yet responded directly to Kingibe’s accusations. However, the backlash from the senator-elect and the people of the FCT serves as a wake-up call for the minister to prioritize the needs of the residents and ensure that the dividends of democracy are equitably distributed across the territory.
As the FCT continues to grow and develop, it is crucial that the Minister strikes a balance between infrastructure development and addressing the pressing needs of the people. Failure to do so could lead to further discontent and a widening of the gap between the government and the governed.
