Roads Without Relief: Kingibe Criticizes Wike’s Focus on Infrastructure Amid Insecurity and Hardship in FCT

 

Strong criticism has emerged from the Nigerian Senate as Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), raised serious concerns about the leadership style of the current Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. In a recent interview with Channels Television, Kingibe did not mince words as she accused the minister of neglecting the actual needs of residents while focusing on projects that benefit only a select few.

According to the senator, the everyday struggles of Abuja’s population have grown since Wike took office. While acknowledging the minister’s commitment to road construction across the territory, she was quick to highlight that such projects do not address the more pressing concerns of the average resident. In her words, “Yes, he’s building roads, but we don’t have public transport. So the bulk of Abuja residents do not benefit from the roads.”

This remark underlines what Kingibe believes to be a misplaced set of priorities. She argued that instead of focusing on high-profile infrastructure projects, the minister should be investing in services that directly touch the lives of people in Abuja’s suburbs and working-class communities. For her, public transportation remains a critical need that continues to go unmet despite the flurry of construction work taking place in central parts of the city.

As insecurity continues to trouble parts of the capital, Kingibe further questioned the minister’s decision to prioritize the renovation and expansion of the International Conference Centre (ICC), a facility that caters to political and diplomatic events. She challenged the rationale behind pumping resources into such a project while reports of unpaid salaries at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and increased fear of kidnappings and robberies among residents go largely unaddressed.

The senator gave an emotional account of the plight of women street sweepers, who have been a consistent part of the city’s sanitation workforce for years. These women, she explained, are often widows or from low-income backgrounds. According to her, previous FCT ministers had retained their services out of empathy and commitment to social welfare.

“This has been a long-standing informal agreement. Whenever a new minister came on board and considered replacing the women with mechanized street cleaning systems, we would intervene. We’d explain that these women depend on the job for survival. Past ministers understood and backed off,” she explained.

However, things changed under the current administration. Kingibe alleged that Wike went ahead to terminate the women’s employment despite several attempts by concerned stakeholders to convince him otherwise. She stated that this decision was not only made without consultation but also executed in the face of direct appeals not to go down that path. According to her, “The current minister came without consultation with anybody. He, in fact, not without consultation. In spite of imploration, he fired them all.”

Adding to the controversy, Kingibe said no replacement scheme or support plan has been put in place for the displaced women. This, she believes, reflects a broader pattern of disregard for the social and economic needs of the people.

Her comments come at a time when Abuja residents have expressed frustration with rising living costs, a lack of effective public services, and security threats that are becoming more pronounced in the city’s outlying districts. The senator’s remarks appear to echo these growing public sentiments, painting a picture of discontent that challenges the minister’s current governance approach.

Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, was appointed Minister of the FCT by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023. Since assuming the role, he has launched multiple road development projects and expressed his vision for transforming Abuja into a world-class capital city. However, critics like Kingibe argue that these high-visibility efforts may be coming at the expense of inclusive development and grassroots welfare.

While Wike’s administration may point to physical upgrades across Abuja as signs of progress, Senator Kingibe insists that true development lies in empowering the people, ensuring safety, and creating functional systems that serve the majority. Her statements signal a growing rift between the federal lawmaker and the FCT administration, with potential political consequences if public dissatisfaction continues to mount.