The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, defended his decision to engage Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to handle the 800 litigation cases involving the FCT Administration. Wike expressed concern over the lack of diligent prosecution in the past, leading to the loss of numerous cases due to alleged complicity on the part of FCTA officials. He stated that some officials connived with plaintiffs to secure judgments against the FCT Administration. The minister emphasized the need to prevent situations where individuals collude with plaintiffs to obtain judgments against the FCT.
Wike disclosed this information while defending the FCT’s N61 billion supplementary budget before the National Assembly Committees on the FCT. He highlighted that the budget components were project-specific, with several projects set for inauguration, including the Abuja Metro Line, which President Bola Tinubu would inaugurate in May as part of activities marking his one year in office. Wike also addressed security measures, stating plans to revive the city’s mass transit system to eliminate security concerns and ensuring private operators undergo security vetting before participating in the system.
Regarding demolitions, the minister emphasized that illegal and unplanned developments would not be tolerated, and compensations would only apply when acquiring properties for development purposes. He further pledged to cancel certain Public Private Partnership arrangements that had previously cost the administration significant amounts.