BY ERNEST OSOGBUE
The seemingly silent feud between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, and the senator representing the FCT, Hajia Ireti Kingibe, has finally burst into the open and become a cause for debate as to who is right and who is wrong. For residents of the FCT, the disagreement had been brewing beneath the surface for some time until the senator finally decided to take it a notch higher by embarking on a media blitz to emphasize her position.
As a resident of the FCT, the faceoff to me is a matter of ego, with the two leaders wanting to show who is more relevant or important than the other. To be fair to the minister, however, most of the initial complaints came from the senator, with the minister only responding to comments and insinuations from the distinguished Hajia Ireti Kingibe.
Using the above scenario as background, one may wish to ask: What are the various responsibilities of the two leaders as far as the FCT is concerned?
From a lay man’s perspective, the senator for the FCT, is responsible for projecting the issues concerning the FCT at the senate; this includes but is not limited to raising memos, proposing and sponsoring bills, lobbying other senators, and generally using the office to ensure that the FCT remains relevant in the scheme of political events in the country.
On the other hand, the duties of the FCT minister, who acts on behalf of the president as the de facto governor of the territory, is to ensure the even development of the FCT, and make life easier and worth living for the residents. This includes but is also not limited to the security of life and property, provision of basic social amenities, development of infrastructure, etc.
From the above, it is clear that the job of the FCT minister and that of the senator are different; one job does not interfere with the other. Be that as it may, however, it is pertinent that if the senator and the minister are to achieve optimum results, they necessarily need to work together.
Many years ago, as a staff member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria FRCN, I remember the then Director General, Dr. Eddie Iroh, admonishing staff that they need not be friends with their colleagues in order to deliver successfully. According to Iroh’s theory; staff must allow their professionalism and interest in the greater good to override personal sentiments towards colleagues while working together. In the same manner, I believe that Senator Kingibe need not be friends with the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, for them to successfully deliver to the people of the FCT.
From unofficial investigations by this writer, the people of the FCT seem very happy with the minister, and this joy has extended beyond even the FCT, to the rest of the country, where the minister is seen as one the most hardworking ministers in president Tinubu’s cabinet. There is no need to overemphasize the fact that prior to the emergence of Nyesom Wike as FCT minister, the entire territory had been allowed to decay by the previous minister.
In the thinking of most FCT residents whom this writer spoke with, Mallam Nasir El Rufai remains the most iconic minister of the territory, for good or for ill. The residents believe that despite El Rufai’s excesses in terms of property demolitions, his work ethic remains second to none. His zeal to restore the FCT Master Plan and make it the iconic territory it is supposed to be is yet unmatched by any minister after him. According to them, the eight years of the Buhari administration remains the most turbulent time for the FCT, as the then minister Mohammed Musa Bello, is believed to have dropped the ball, allowing the territory to go to seed. This had made FCT residents apprehensive before Mr. President unveiled his cabinet.
From all indications, residents of the territory have been overwhelmed by the speed and zeal with which Nyesom Wike has undertaken his job, and according to them, if Wike continues on this trajectory for the remainder of his tenure, he is on line to surpassing the exploits of Malam Nasir El Rufai. It was, therefore, a surprise to many when the senator representing the FCT, Hajia Ireti Kingibe, made allusions of neglect of certain issues and none performance against the minister.
While some residents sympathize with the senator and believe she may be having challenges relating with the honorable minister, they also believe, that she needs to find more diplomatic channels to make her point, and allow reason to reign, as she seeks areas of cooperation with the minister. Critics of the minister, on the other hand, have focused more on his antecedents as Rivers State governor and quirky human foibles of which all humans are guilty. In the present instance, however, it is generally accepted that Wike’s scorecard in the FCT has been excellent so far. The distinguished senator must, therefore, not be seen to be against the positive trajectory of events.
Rather than going against the minister with the recent media blitz, some believe that the minister’s exploits could actually have a positive knock-on effect on the senator’s political career, if she were to be seen as a supporter rather than an antagonist. In the same vein, some believe the minister could soften his stand and open channels of communication through which they could both work and make life more meaningful to FCT residents.
There is the need, therefore, for calmer heads to prevail and bring about a thawing of relationship between these two public servants. Taking sides and apportioning blame would only help to stoke the embers of an unnecessary feud and possibly hamper the positive developments currently taking place in the FCT. The desire of residents is for both the minister and the senator to deliver on their mandates and avoid unnecessary bickering. As the saying goes, we disagree to agree. We therefore urge these two eminent public servants to sheath their swords in the overall interest of the people they both serve.
