The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has refuted claims by local contractors that his administration owes them N5.2 billion, claiming that the arrears stem from contracts given irregularly by civil officials without ministerial consent.
On Monday, contractors protested at the minister’s gate, claiming that the FCT Administration owed them approximately N5.2 billion for completed projects.
However, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, refuted the charges, stating that the minister had not granted any new contracts since taking office and had already cleared a N10 billion backlog inherited from his predecessor.
Speaking on Tuesday at the start of Phase 2 restoration work at the Lower Usman Dam in Ushafa, Wike described the protest as extortion engineered by unscrupulous officials using fronts to push spurious claims.
“I came on board, and people were already shouting that local contractors were being owed N5bn, N8bn. I asked, ‘Who awarded these contracts?’ Civil servants sit in their offices and award contracts of N10m, N15m, and N20m without the minister’s knowledge. Then they turn around to say the minister owes N15bn. That will never happen! Nobody can intimidate me on that,” Wike declared.
He said that the so-called contractors were simply hired demonstrators and vowed that his administration would only honour legitimately approved contracts backed by adequate financing.
“If I award contracts, I will pay. But I don’t award contracts without money. Even the Federal Executive Council awarded some, and I told them to hold on until funds were available. Let nobody say I borrowed money,” he explained.
Challenging his critics, the former governor of Rivers State demanded proof that he personally awarded any of the disputed contracts.
“Let anyone who claims I awarded a contract produce the documents. If I didn’t, why should I be held responsible? We must do things right. If it wasn’t done properly before, it doesn’t mean it won’t be done properly today,” he said.
Wike also attacked the practice of breaking projects into little sums—N10m, N15m, and N25m—claiming it was a tactic by civil workers to syphon monies without producing substantial outcomes.
He swore not to succumb to pressure or perpetuate the “business as usual” attitude of excessive expenditure and bloated contracts.
“You cannot embarrass me. Go and meet those who awarded you contracts and tell them your children are out of school. It’s not my business,” the minister added.
