The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he derives joy from stepping on the toes of ‘big men’. He stated this during a media parley in Abuja, on Monday, June 2.
Wike said all property owners in Abuja who are yet to pay their ground rent must do so or face the music. He mentioned that his predecessors in the FCT, including now Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, lacked the courage to compel political bigwigs who own structures in the nation’s capital to pay their annual ground rent.
“Look at what we are doing differently. People have said that FCT was not working (but) now it is working which means I’m doing things that they (past FCT ministers) refused to do.
I found out that most of them didn’t have the courage to annoy people, to step on toes but I take joy when I step on the toes of big men; those who say nothing will happen but I say something will happen. It makes me happy.
All they want me to do is to make decisions against poor people saying nothing will happen to them but I say something will happen. That is why we are making results. If you don’t do the right thing, too bad. I don’t care.”
The Wike administration in the FCT had published the details of 9,000 debtors in newspapers, asking them to pay their ground rents to avoid the risk of forfeiture.
The administration subsequently announced on May 23, 2025 that it would take possession of about 5,000 affected properties owing ground rents between 10 and 43 years and began sealing and taking over properties of debtors including the PDP national secretariat, but President Bola Tinubu granted the defaulters a 14-day grace period to settle their outstanding payments and penalties.
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