- FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe publicly accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of securing loans without seeking Senate authorisation
- Kingibe also revealed that an ad hoc committee set up to probe Wike’s demolitions never once held a meeting
- The senator alleged that the Senate has consistently shielded Wike from scrutiny on FCT-related issues
FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe has accused Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, of repeatedly borrowing funds without bringing the loans before the Senate for approval, raising fresh questions about financial oversight in Abuja.
Kingibe said Wike only appears before the Senate during budget season, and that every other matter concerning the FCT is effectively buried without proper legislative scrutiny.
Photo Credit: @GovWike
Source: Twitter
Demolitions committee that never met
The senator also revealed that the Senate had previously directed Wike to suspend demolitions in the FCT until an ad hoc committee convened and submitted its findings. However, Kingibe said the committee never held a single meeting.
She pointed to what she described as the committee chairman’s glowing disposition towards the minister as a reason the panel failed to function.
“The chairman of the committee was saying that Wike is the best thing ever that has happened to Abuja,” she said, suggesting that such sentiments made meaningful oversight impossible.
Senate accused of shielding Wike
Kingibe went further, arguing that the Senate as a whole has been complicit in allowing Wike to operate without adequate checks.
“Everything that has to do with the FCT is pushed under the carpet under this Senate,” she said. “Wike is taking loans, and he has never come to the Senate for approvals. He only comes to the Senate when it’s time for the budget.”
The senator’s remarks paint a picture of a legislature that, in her view, has consistently failed to hold the FCT minister to account on matters ranging from the controversial demolition of properties in Abuja to the sourcing of funds for capital projects in the territory.
See the video of Kingibe’s interview on X here:
Adeleke presents his certificate of return to Wike
Legit.ng earlier reported that Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke met FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in Abuja days after his re-election victory.
The visit followed Adeleke’s earlier meeting with President Bola Tinubu, where he presented his Certificate of Return.
Adeleke defeated APC’s Bola Oyebamiji with 511,067 votes in the August 15 governorship election.
Source: Legit.ng