Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, has stated that there is no reprieve for tax defaulters in Abuja and that he is not to back down from those who refuse to pay necessary government dues, regardless of their standing.
He stated that he will touch wealthy tax defaulters, and heaven will not collapse.
On Monday, May 26, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Administration task force sealed various facilities, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s national headquarters in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, due to unpaid ground rent.
The action prompted fury inside the PDP, with acting National Chairman Umar Damagum calling it an act of recklessness by the Federal Government.
Wike, who said those regarded as ‘untouchables’ in Abuja would not be spared as long as they chose to break the law, spoke on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday while delivering the institution’s 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture.
Speaking on the theme of ‘Nigeria of our dreams’, the former Rivers State Governor stated that leadership required bravery to make decisions that promote growth without fear.
“Leadership is not about you liking someone; it is about you being courageous to make a decision that will help us to move forward.
“I am not the first minister of FCT; no poor man lives in Maitama or Asokoro; they are all rich men. No poor man does business in the Central Business Area. They say they are untouchable; I say no!
“I will touch you if the right thing is not done. That is leadership; they didn’t appoint me as minister for a beauty contest. Mention one poor man who has a house in Maitama; all are rich men; they don’t want to pay tax; you will pay it. You will pay; if you don’t pay, I will touch you, and heaven will not fall but rather be at peace,” Wike said.
Speaking on how poor-quality leadership has slowed down the progress of the country, Wike said Nigeria, at different times, ended up with leaders who were not prepared for leadership positions.
He added, “Indeed, some of these leaders were ab initio even reluctant to take on the mantle of leadership. Accordingly, Nigeria has substantially been infested with leaders without preparation, knowledge, courage, patriotism and character.
“Little wonder our country has spent too much time groping in the dark and fiddling with common nuggets of development such as basic infrastructure, primary healthcare, efficient democratic and judicial systems, and a functional economy.”
Speaking on the kind of leadership that Nigeria needs, Wike said, “A leader of our dreams must be one who is prepared to lead; one who has shown character and resilience in the face of challenges. He must be that person who believes in the infinite possibilities that the Nigerian nation exemplifies while taking solid, proactive, logical and well-informed decisions that would maximally actualise her potential.
“This leader must have the courage and audacity to act, build, innovate and generally expand the frontiers of development with a hands-on approach that would emphasise excellence over mediocrity.
“Perhaps, more importantly, the leader of our dreams must create a society of free and responsible citizens whose potentials flow freely and free enterprise thrives.”
Wike emphasised the importance of quality leadership in nation building in his book, “The Sheikh CEO”, where he stated that Dubai’s development is fundamentally traceable to the great leadership provided by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the current leader of Dubai, and his forebears.
He claimed that with vision, resilience, and discipline, they changed Dubai, an otherwise desolate landscape, into one of the most fascinating destinations for trade, business, and recreation.
He went on to say that President Bola Tinubu possesses the necessary attributes and has repeatedly shown a strong commitment to the establishment of democracy in the country.
He said, “He (Tinubu) has shown great capacity for engendering development as captured in the unprecedentedly rapid and exponential development of Lagos State under his watch and even beyond.
“On his first day, upon being sworn in as president, he demonstrated rare courage by removing the hydra-headed fuel subsidy that was impoverishing generations of Nigerians and binding them into avoidable and perennial debt.
“Leaders before him all spoke about the evil of fuel subsidy, but none had the courage to dare the blackmail of removing it. Tinubu did and is fittingly grappling with the inevitable, unintended and sometimes orchestrated consequences of this removal.
“Today, our states have far more resources to develop, the debts are no longer piling, and the price of petrol is gradually but steadily adjusting downwards in tandem with the forces of demand and supply and the strict implementation of regulatory conditionalities.”
