The newly appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesome Wike, has dismissed any possibility of his likely defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as being speculated in some quarters, saying he is not in the FCT to fly any party flag.
Wike, who is the only member of the opposition party on President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, said he was in the FCT to deliver the dividends of democracy and return the territory to its glory days.
The minister, in his maiden media briefing, rolled out a 10-point agenda with focus on issues of security, city sanitation, preservation of the Abuja Master Plan, infrastructure development, restoration of green areas, removal of shanties, blocking of revenue leakages, and ground rent payment, among other deliverables.
The minister, who was responding to questions on the party flag he is likely to fly as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said FCT residents should be more worried about burning issues needing urgent intervention, and not the party flag he would be flying.
“Why should anyone be bothered about what party flag I will be flying?
“Okay, bring the PDP flag, I will fly it; bring Labour Party flag, I will fly it.
“The FCT is in this state and you think the people are bothered about the party flag I fly? I will fly the Nigerian flag and ensure the FCT returns to the dreams of the founding fathers.
“We will bring the FCT back to where it ought to be. So many people have complained that this is not the FCT of the founding fathers.
“We must tackle the issue of security. The FCT should be where people come for holidays,”Wike said.
He warned that the administration under his leadership will not take excuses from security agencies, as they will be provided with the required tools to work as the issue of security is germane.
The minister also said that he would sanitize the city and end the rise of slums and shanties across the city.
“Abuja has turned to a slum city. Sanitation is bad with refuse everywhere. We cannot allow that. We will look at issues of waste disposals.
“If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down. Our green areas and parks must come back.
“Land racketeering days are over. Those who refuse to develop, turning to land speculators will lose their lands.
“All these are our short term deliverables so as to bring back people’s confidence in the government,” Wike stressed.
