Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has refuted the allegations that he awarded contracts worth N5 billion to local contractors.
A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said, no contract under the current administration has been awarded to local contractors, and anyone claiming otherwise is urged to present concrete documentation.
In December 2023, upon assuming office, Wike was presented with an outstanding bill of approximately N10 billion for jobs completed by local contractors prior to his tenure. These jobs were categorised as ‘Shopping or Minor Procurement.’
The Minister said he promptly approved payments exceeding N5 billion that same month and authorised an additional payment of over N5 billion in January 2024, effectively clearing the outstanding amount.
However, three months later, another bill amounting to over N15 billion surfaced, purportedly for outstanding payments under the same minor procurement category. The Minister said he questioned the legitimacy of these claims, stressing that he had not authorised such contracts and criticised the rapid accumulation of such debts within a short three-month period.
“How can you claim to have carried out jobs worth over N15 billion within three months without the approval of the Minister?” Wike’s aide queried. “How can such a massive debt accumulate without clear authorisation?”
Further scrutiny revealed that these claims had fluctuated from N15 billion down to N8 billion and more recently to N5 billion, raising concerns about the authenticity and authority behind the supposed contract awards.
The FCT Minister’s spokesperson called on all parties involved to clarify the source of these contract approvals and to provide evidence supporting their claims.