The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that his administration will not bow to blackmail in its quest to deliver basic infrastructure for Abuja residents, insisting that water supply, schools, roads, and security remain his top priorities.
Wike made the remarks in Ushafa, Bwari Area Council, during the commissioning of the rehabilitated Phase 2 Water Treatment Plant at the Lower Usuma Dam.
The minister noted that the project, worth over ₦50 billion, was first awarded in 2022 but gained full momentum under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said recognizes that “water is life” and a critical necessity for residents of the FCT.
According to him, the rehabilitation of the Phase 2 plant will significantly increase water supply to Abuja residents, while work on Phases 1, 3, and 4—recently approved by the Federal Executive Council—will further boost capacity.
“By this project, we are restoring the carrying capacity of the treatment plants, and improving access to safe water for the people of Abuja. This is in line with Mr. President’s directive that essential services must never be compromised,” Wike stated.
Wike also revealed that President Tinubu had signed a major agreement with a Chinese construction firm in 2023, which will deliver potable water to Abuja’s satellite towns at a cost of ₦90 billion.
“This government is not concentrating development only in the city centre. We are taking development to the satellite towns. By tomorrow, we will flag off another water project that will provide clean water for rural communities. This is how government touches lives,” he said.
The FCT Minister, however, used the event to address criticisms over contract awards in the nation’s capital, accusing some vested interests of spreading falsehood to undermine his reforms.
“All through yesterday and today, I watched Channels Television where they kept focusing on so-called local contractors, claiming I awarded them jobs. Let anyone who has evidence bring out the documents and prove it. I have never awarded contracts without due process,” he declared.
He maintained that some individuals benefitting from corrupt practices are behind the attacks, but vowed that his administration will not be distracted.
“When you fight corruption, corruption fights back. But no amount of blackmail will make us lose focus. Let heaven come down, nobody can intimidate me,” Wike said.
Beyond water projects, the minister disclosed that the FCT Administration had also completed a number of schools across rural communities, and would soon release a full list of these projects to the press.
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“We are turning our schools around. Education is very key, and I have instructed the Secretary of Education to take the media around rural communities to see what we have done. Nigerians will know that this administration is not only focused on roads and buildings, but also on human development,” he added.
Wike explained that one of his major reforms was cutting wasteful expenditure and boosting revenue generation. He revealed that monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the FCT had risen from about ₦9 billion before he assumed office, to about ₦30 billion presently.
“If we were not saving money, how would we be able to fund projects like this? Every year, budgets used to be filled with wasteful items—buying computers, attending conferences abroad—while projects that impact people were abandoned. We have changed that narrative. Today, 70% of our expenditure goes into capital projects, while only 30% goes to overhead. That is why you are seeing results,” he said.
Wike stressed that his ultimate goal is to leave Abuja better than he met it, assuring residents that history will remember the Tinubu administration for real transformation in the FCT.
“I want the residents of Abuja to feel the impact of government, not just hear promises. The day we leave office, we want to stand tall and say we changed the story of this city. We are not here for a beauty contest. We are here for serious governance,” he concluded, to loud applause.
The commissioning of the rehabilitated Phase 2 Water Treatment Plant is expected to restore an additional 5,000 cubic metres of water per hour into Abuja’s network, improving supply to thousands of households across the capital city.
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