FCTA defends N61bn supplementary budget, laments 800 court cases

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, explained his decision to engage Senior Advocates of Nigeria to handle 800 litigation involving the administration, lamenting that lack of diligent prosecution of cases in the past by FCT officials led to the loss of numerous cases.

Wike alleged that there were cases of complicity on the part of certain  FCTA officials who connived with plaintiffs to get judgments against the FCT Administration.

The minister said this while defending FCT's N61bn supplementary budget before the National Assembly Committees on the FCT.

Wike said, “I have never seen a territory with over 800 litigation pieces. Some of these court cases were in connivance with staff of the FCT.

“So, I said I will engage SANs because I don't want a situation whereby someone will go to court and then agree with the plaintiffs and judgment is entered against the FCT.”

The minister, who said the budget components were projects-specific, added that President Bola Tinubu would inaugurate most of them, including the Abuja Metro Line, by May as part of activities marking the President's one year in office.

On security, the minister said the Administration would revive the city's mass transit system to eliminate cases of “one chance”, adding that private operators would undergo security vetting before being allowed into the system.

He said he was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the State Security Services SSS with regard to providing Closed Circuit Television CCTV cameras in strategic parts of the city.

Responding to a question on the fate of victims of the Administration's demolition exercises, Wike said Nigerians could not desire a world-class federal capital territory and then make excuses for unplanned and illegal developments.

He said; “We can't stop demolition. You cannot go and build in a green area and then when we demolish, you want us to compensate you. Illegality is illegality. But if we want to acquire your property for development, we will pay you.

Wike also vowed to cancel some Public Private Partnership arrangements entered into by the FCT Administration with some private developers, saying those arrangements had been used to fleece the administration of billions in the past.