The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has officially inaugurated the newly elected FCT Area Council Chairmen, drawing a hard line against financial recklessness, administrative laxity, and recurring labor disputes at the local government level.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, Wike congratulated the new leaders on their victories at the FCT Area Council polls held in February but quickly warned that the era of treating public office as a mere title is officially over. He urged them to hit the ground running with clear 100-day and one-year development benchmarks to justify the confidence of the electorate.
In a stern reminder regarding public service rules and financial discipline, the Minister explicitly stated that no Executive Chairman has the authority to directly sign chequebooks. Clarifying the boundaries of local government governance, Wike noted that while chairmen have the power to approve expenditures, actual financial transactions are strictly delegated to career civil servants who serve as valid signatories to the council accounts. He warned the new leaders not to land themselves in legal jeopardy by bypassing established financial regulations.
Wike also addressed local security and governance gaps, handing down a strict directive ordering all chairmen to immediately halt the practice of abandoning their designated rural domains to reside in luxury hotels or the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). He emphasized that their physical presence is vital for gathering grassroots intelligence, instructing them to live among their constituents and coordinate directly with security agencies and the FCT Administration (FCTA).
Expressing deep frustration with the constant strikes by primary school teachers and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE)—which have historically paralyzed the territory’s local education system—Wike tasked the incoming chairmen with finding permanent solutions to labor disputes rather than constantly relying on the FCTA for financial bailouts to pay salaries. Following the ceremony, where the official oath of office was administered by Justice Belgore of the FCT High Court, the newly minted leaders moved to their respective councils to begin their administrative tenures.
