Nyesom Wike’s performance as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been praised by National Assembly members.
When Wike came before the lawmakers on Wednesday to defend the ₦1.78 trillion FCT Statutory Budget proposal for the 202 fiscal year, they commended him.
Lawmakers from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and All Progressives Congress (APC) were said to have praised the FCT’s infrastructure development.
Along with Mariya Mahmoud, the Minister of State for FCT, Senator Ibrahim Bomai, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, praised Wike for his outstanding performance in his brief tenure as FCT Minister.
“This is the first time FCT is proposing to generate about ₦1.7 trillion,” Bomai stated, expressing his admiration for the FCT’s 2025 revenue and fiscal framework. One of the best budgets to date has been given by FCT.
Additionally, the estimated ₦608 billion in internal revenue for 2025 indicates a notable improvement, he added.
Additionally, the minister was praised by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP) for the complete transformation of Abuja as the capital of Nigeria.
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Ningi, however, asked the minister to take further action to enhance the security of the FCT, comparing its current state to that of Cairo and Johannesburg.
“Everyone who knows where Abuja was two years ago and what it is now knows that you have done well,” stated Senator Ali Ndume of the Borno South APC.
“Even yesterday, my friend informed me that Wike was doing well. I responded that the Senate was doing well because he was powerless without the Senate’s approval of his budget.”
Ndume promised that the Senate would continue to assist him in order to make his success possible.
The FCT budget performance, according to Senator Osita Ozunaso (Imo West, APC), was praiseworthy, especially the decrease in personnel costs that allowed for greater funding for capital projects.
“Every time we sit on budgets, individuals come here and raise the cost of personnel, yet in the proposed budget for 2025, you have cut the cost of personnel by N21 billion compared to the amount allotted in 2024.
Second, your capital expenditures exceed your recurring expenses. This is great,” Ozunaso remarked.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North, APC) described Wike as one of the best ministers under the APC administration.
Oshiomhole noted that too much money was being spent on overhead with very little available for infrastructure, “what Wike has done is worth noting and commendation“.
The minister’s visible performance was praised by Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT, LP), who claimed it was undeniable.
Muktar Betara, the chairman of the FCT committee, had earlier praised Wike at the House of Representatives for the continuous improvement of the nation’s capital.
During the budget defence, Wike appealed to the lawmakers to approve the ₦1.78 trillion FCT Statutory Budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year.
He clarified that of the ₦1.78 trillion, ₦1.28 trillion (72.3%) was allocated for capital projects, while ₦494.1 billion (20.7%) was allocated for ongoing expenses.
