Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, says many civil servants are unhappy with him because his administration has ended what he described as wasteful government spending and redirected public funds to infrastructure projects.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said his administration no longer approves unnecessary foreign trips and conferences, insisting that such expenses often serve as channels for diverting public funds.
“You expect me to approve funds for you to go to America for a one-week conference on land administration. What is that?… I won’t do that,” Wike said.
According to the minister, government officials can gain similar knowledge by studying successful land administration systems within Nigeria instead of embarking on expensive overseas trips.
Wike also revealed that when he assumed office, about 65 percent of the FCT budget was allocated to recurrent expenditure, leaving little for development projects.
“I came on board and said no—70 per cent must go to capital expenditure while 30 per cent should be for recurrent expenditure,” he stated.
He argued that funds previously used for conferences and other non-essential activities are now being invested in roads and other infrastructure projects that have a direct impact on residents.
“That is why I can’t be popular among civil servants. If you ask anybody today which minister they don’t like, it is me. Why? Because the money they used for conferences, I put it together and used it to build roads,” Wike added.
The minister maintained that his administration would continue to prioritise prudent spending and infrastructure development over what he described as frivolous government expenditure.
Source: Media Chat with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike
