Why civil servants don’t like me – Wike opens up

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he believes he is unpopular among many civil servants, saying his efforts to block the diversion of public funds have made him unpopular.

Speaking during his monthly media briefing on the state of the nation in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said his reforms have cut off opportunities that were previously used to misuse government resources.

According to the minister, funds that were once spent on activities such as foreign conferences are now being redirected to critical infrastructure projects, especially the construction and rehabilitation of roads across the Federal Capital Territory.

Wike maintained that his administration is focused on ensuring that public funds are used for projects that directly benefit residents rather than unnecessary expenditures.

He said he rejected what he considered unnecessary spending by government officials and instead prioritised capital projects that would have direct impact on residents.

He said, “We waste our resources on frivolities, you expect me to approve funds for you to go for conference in America on land administration, what’s that? Go to Lagos and Port Harcourt, study how their own works or did not work and make a comparison here.”

Wike questioned the need for approving huge sums for overseas conferences, insisting that such funds could be better deployed to improve infrastructure.

“How do you encourage me to sign N20 million to travel to America for a conference of one week for land administration, I won’t do that,” he said.

The minister explained that before his assumption of office, a larger portion of the FCT budget was dedicated to recurrent expenditure, but he altered the spending pattern to prioritise development projects.

“Before I came you had about 65 percent of the budget for recurrent expenditure. How would such society develop. I came onboard and said no, 70 per cent is for capital expenditure while 30 percent is for recurrent expenditure,” he stated.

Wike alleged that some government spending under the guise of conferences provided opportunities for misuse of public funds, adding that he chose to channel such resources into projects that would benefit residents.

“Some people say conferences for corruption and I say what is that? You are going for conferences to do what? These are ways government funds are being diverted. I say put this money in this road here and the people will get the impact,” he said.

Explaining why he believes some civil servants do not support his administration, Wike said his policies had affected those who benefited from previous spending practices.

“And that’s why I can’t be popular among civil servants, if you ask anybody today, one Minister they won’t like is me. Why? Those money for conferences, I put the money together for roads,” he added.

His latest comments come amid ongoing debates over public sector spending, accountability and the balance between workers’ welfare and infrastructure development in the nation’s capital.

Wike assumed office as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in August 2023 following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.

Since taking charge of the FCT administration, the former Rivers State governor has prioritised infrastructure development, particularly road rehabilitation, urban renewal and improved service delivery, while criticising what he described as years of waste and poor resource management.

Wike has repeatedly clashed with some stakeholders over his policies, including the demolition of structures considered illegal, reforms in land administration and his push to reduce recurrent spending in favour of capital projects

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