By Ado Oyeyemi
Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has alleged that the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has been obtaining loans for the nation’s capital without securing approval from the National Assembly.
Kingibe made the allegation on Tuesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, where she discussed the administration of the FCT, the Abuja Master Plan and the oversight responsibilities of lawmakers.
The senator claimed that records from the Debt Management Office showed that loans had been obtained for the FCT between August 2023 and March 2026.
She, however, alleged that Wike had not appeared before the Senate to seek approval for the borrowings.
Kingibe said she had raised the issue with the leadership of the Senate, stressing that lawmakers were constitutionally expected to exercise oversight over the FCT administration and approve its borrowing plans.
“I am definitely saying Wike has been taking loans without the approval of the National Assembly,” she said.
She expressed concern that despite the Senate’s oversight responsibility, the minister had not appeared before the upper chamber to seek approval for the loans.
“I’m sorry to say, with all due respect to the Senate, of which I’m a member, we’re supposed to oversee him.
“We’re supposed to approve, and I have brought to the attention of the leadership of the Senate that the FCT is borrowing money,” Kingibe said.
According to the senator, Wike had appeared before the Senate FCT Committee on one occasion but had not appeared before the full Senate to seek approval for borrowing.
“I have never seen Wike come to the National Assembly, come before the Senate, to ask for approval for anything. He comes before the FCT Committee, and that’s the only time it ever sat,” she added.
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Kingibe’s allegation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the FCT administration’s spending, infrastructure projects and financial commitments under Wike.
