Abuja — Tensions between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, have intensified following fresh allegations from the lawmaker accusing the minister of exhibiting an “emperor mentality” and failing to address key issues affecting residents of the capital.
In an interview with Channels Television, Senator Kingibe revealed she had deliberately toned down public criticism of Wike in recent months in hopes of fostering cooperation and accelerating development for her constituents. However, she claimed the move yielded no results.
“In the last few months, I gave it some thought and said, ‘Okay, at the end of the day, all I want is for my people to benefit’. If being less antagonistic to the minister would help bring development, then fine. So I decided to minimize my public criticism of him,” she stated.
“But it’s not made any difference, because he has an emperor mentality.”
The senator alleged that her restraint was misinterpreted as submission by the minister, leading to further deterioration in FCT governance.
“He just thought, ‘Oh, I’ve got her – end of matter,’ and things are even worse,” she added. “At least in the first year I was senator, he paid the salaries of the FCDA staff. Now they’re not even being paid.”
Kingibe’s latest remarks mark a continuation of the ongoing friction between the two public officials over development and accountability in the FCT.
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