Wike denies owing contractors in the Federal Capital Territory

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, insists the debts result from contracts irregularly awarded without his approval.

Contractors had protested at Wike’s office, demanding payment for completed projects.

However, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, stated that the minister has not awarded any new contracts since taking office and has already cleared a backlog of N10 billion inherited from the previous administration.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Phase 2 rehabilitation works at Lower Usman Dam in Ushafa, Wike dismissed the protests as blackmail orchestrated by corrupt officials.

He challenged the contractors to provide proof that he personally awarded the disputed contracts.

You cannot embarrass me. Go and meet those who awarded you contracts and tell them your children are out of school. It’s not my business.

“I came on board and people were already shouting that local contractors were being owed N5 billion, N8 billion. I asked, who awarded these contracts? Civil servants sit in their offices and award contracts of N10 million, N15 million, N20 million without the minister’s knowledge. Then they turn around to say the minister is owing N15 billion. That will never happen! Nobody can intimidate me on that,” Wike declared.

Wike condemned the practice of splitting projects into smaller contracts as a deliberate scheme by civil servants to siphon funds without delivering meaningful results.

He vowed to end the culture of frivolous spending and padded contracts.

“If I award contracts, I will pay. But I don’t award contracts without money. Even the Federal Executive Council awarded some, and I told them to hold on until funds were available. Let nobody say I borrowed money,” he explained.

The minister firmly stated that he will only honor contracts properly awarded and backed by available funding, urging contractors to direct their grievances to those who actually awarded the contracts.

“You cannot embarrass me. Go and meet those who awarded you contracts and tell them your children are out of school. It’s not my business,” Wike added.