MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has faulted a claim by Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT, that he obtains loans without the approval of the National Assembly.
In August, Kingibe alleged that Wike was borrowing money for the FCT without obtaining the approval of the National Assembly. The senator said she had raised concerns with the Senate leadership over the FCT minister’s borrowings.
News Point Nigeria reports that Kingibe had specifically questioned how such borrowings could have taken place without the minister appearing before the Senate to seek approval.
“I have never seen Wike come to the National Assembly and before the Senate to ask for approval of anything,” she said.
But speaking on Tuesday while inspecting road projects in the nation’s capital, Wike said Kingibe’s remark demonstrated a lack of understanding of how government loans are secured.
Wike said the senator would not return to the red chamber in 2027, adding that she had “nothing to offer to the people of the FCT”.
“There is no way you can go and take a loan without the approval of the National Assembly. If you want to take a loan, you will include it in the budget and state that, in this aspect of the budget, the government will take out a loan,” he said.
“I don’t want to comment about her. She is already packing her things out. The people of the FCT have made their choice. They are going to support President Tinubu and Philip Aduda for Senate.”
The FCT Minister also alleged that Kingibe had “failed in all ramifications” as a senator and had not delivered meaningful development to residents of the nation’s capital.
He added that Kingibe’s concern should have been whether the loans were being properly applied to infrastructure projects and whether they were serving the interests of residents. Wike argued that the more important issue was how any borrowed funds were being deployed for the benefit of the FCT.
Early this month, Philip Agbese, Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, said Wike followed due process in borrowing for the nation’s capital.
Agbese, who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in Benue State, said the minister committed no infraction in borrowing to finance projects and programmes in the nation’s capital.
Agbese’s position followed Kingibe’s allegation that the FCT Administration had engaged in borrowings without securing the approval of the National Assembly. He said there was no evidence that Wike had bypassed the legislature or violated established procedures in financing infrastructure projects in the territory.
Wike and Kingibe have been at loggerheads over the governance of the FCT, trading barbs publicly.