The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the FCT Administration cannot commit all its financial resources to the payment of salaries and allowances at the expense of infrastructure development and governance responsibilities.
Wike made the remarks while addressing workers under the Joint Union Action Committee during an interaction captured in a video shared on social media by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.
According to the minister, government funds must be shared between personnel costs and capital projects needed to sustain the nation’s capital.
“No government can use all available funds to pay wages and allowances alone,” Wike said. “If we do that, how do we construct roads, rehabilitate schools, or provide the vehicles required for effective service delivery?”
He recalled challenges faced by previous FCT administrations when funds were insufficient to meet competing demands, noting that public criticism often followed such constraints.
“People would say a minister did nothing while in office,” he said. “But how do you perform when there is no money? You cannot print money simply because people are demanding projects.”
Wike disclosed that when he assumed office, the FCT Administration received about ₦9 billion monthly, a figure he said has increased significantly.
“When I came in, the FCTA was receiving about ₦9 billion every month,” he said. “Today, by God’s grace, our monthly allocation is not less than ₦30 billion. But performance is not measured by salaries alone.”
He explained that the available funds are often spread across salary augmentation, infrastructure development and routine administrative expenses.
“If you move ₦3 billion to augment salaries and another ₦10 billion to infrastructure, the remaining funds must still run the system,” he said.
“The moment people see money in the account, they remember claims from many years ago and expect everything to be paid at once. That is not how
governance works.”
The minister also urged workers to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration, expressing confidence in the country’s future.
“Our collective future depends on supporting the President to do the best he can,” Wike said.
“We must also contribute by being progressive in our thinking.”
Addressing the ongoing strike by FCT workers, Wike reminded them that the matter was already before the court and warned against disobeying judicial orders.
“It is dangerous for people to say they will not obey court orders,” he said. “That is how societies slide into lawlessness. Blocking gates and openly declaring disobedience has consequences.”
He warned that the FCT Administration could pursue contempt proceedings against those flouting court directives.
“Once contempt proceedings begin, people will understand that these issues are not to be taken lightly,” he added.
Wike maintained that the administration had not resorted to self-help, stressing that dialogue remained open.
“We did not take the law into our hands,” he said.
“We chose to allow the court determine who is right or wrong. We are still open to discussions, but no one should threaten the existence of others.”
He assured workers that efforts were ongoing to resolve challenges facing the FCT Administration, though he admitted that not all issues could be addressed simultaneously.
“No one can solve every problem at once,” Wike said. “The key is dialogue, focus and doing your best while in office. When you leave, someone else will continue from where you stopped.”
FCT workers under the Joint Union Action Committee had embarked on an indefinite strike on January 19 over unresolved welfare issues.
The strike followed a ruling by the National Industrial Court ordering workers to suspend the action and resume duties after public services in Abuja were disrupted for over a week.
