Godson Orozo-
President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he once jokingly threatened to sack Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over his request to remove the FCT from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to speed up development.
Speaking on Sunday while receiving FCT residents at the Presidential Villa for Sallah homage, Tinubu acknowledged that the bureaucracy tied to the TSA was hindering infrastructure growth in the capital and needed to be reviewed for greater impact.
“I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please take us out of this problem of TSA so that I can do more work and achieve more,’” Tinubu recounted. “I said, ‘Show me what you are about to do.’ And he presented himself.”
The President, however, added a political twist to his response: “I threw him my own political jibe. I said, ‘Will that give me any opportunity for my party to win elections in the FCT? I know where you are coming from, your own party or my party. But if this thing goes too much in your favour, you will lose your job.’”
Wike, according to Tinubu, assured him of results. “He said, ‘Okay, we will settle that, oga.’ And everything started changing rapidly.”
The President noted that freeing the FCT from TSA restrictions had accelerated infrastructure projects, improved healthcare services, and strengthened security.
“I started seeing the opening up of rural areas, the resuscitation of abandoned projects, and the completion of the Vice President’s official residence that had been neglected for years,” Tinubu stated. “The FCT rehabilitated healthcare centers, upgraded school facilities, and provided furniture.”
Tinubu commended Wike for proving that reducing bureaucratic hurdles was essential for progress. “We wouldn’t have been able to open our mouths to celebrate if not for the progressive ideas you brought to FCT,” he said. “We can now celebrate the innovative ideas introduced.”
The President urged FCT residents and Nigerians to look beyond ethnic and religious affiliations in leadership choices, emphasizing the importance of results over political sentiment.
