By Gift ChapiOdekina
Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has dismissed allegations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, obtained loans for the financing of projects in Abuja without the approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese, a member of the Labour Party representing a constituency in Benue State, said Wike had not violated any law in the financing of FCT projects, describing the minister as one of the most legislatively compliant public officials under the oversight of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker was reacting on Thursday to claims by the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, that the FCT Administration had engaged in borrowings without securing the approval of the National Assembly.
Kingibe had said she raised concerns with the Senate leadership over the alleged borrowings, stressing that she had never seen Wike appear before the Senate to seek approval for a loan.
“I have never seen Wike come to the National Assembly and before the Senate to ask for approval of anything,” Kingibe said.
The senator said FCT budgets were presented through the relevant Senate committee before being considered and approved by the chamber.
She added that she discovered the alleged borrowings while reviewing information from the Debt Management Office covering the period between August 2023 and March 2026.
However, Agbese, while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, described the allegation as misleading, arguing that the FCT minister could not unilaterally create a sovereign borrowing obligation outside established constitutional and administrative procedures.
According to him, the processes governing public borrowing involve the appropriate constitutional and administrative authorities, adding that the minister had consistently subjected the administration of the FCT to legislative scrutiny.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He said Wike had regularly engaged the National Assembly through the presentation and consideration of FCT budgets and appearances before relevant committees.
Agbese also argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be regarded as evidence of a breach of the law, particularly given the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken across the capital.
He listed road construction and rehabilitation, transportation infrastructure and other development projects among the major interventions being undertaken by the FCT Administration.
The deputy spokesperson maintained that financing infrastructure through lawful borrowing was not, in itself, an offence, stressing that the key issue was whether the necessary approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Under our searchlight, the FCT Minister is one of the most legislatively compliant public servants. He has consistently engaged the National Assembly and subjected the activities of the FCT Administration to legislative scrutiny,” he said.
Agbese urged that the legislature’s oversight role be guided by documents, facts and established procedures rather than political allegations.
He said that if there were specific borrowing transactions which Kingibe believed were unlawful, the appropriate step would be to identify them and invite the relevant authorities to produce the documentation governing the transactions.
The lawmaker also cautioned against conflating the responsibilities of the FCT minister with those of the Federal Government and other institutions responsible for public finance and debt management.
He said Wike’s performance in Abuja should be assessed based on the projects executed, the processes followed and their measurable impact.
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