Wike sacks the heads of all 21 FCT agencies and parastatals with immediate effect

FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) minister Nyesom Wike has relieved the heads of the 21 agencies and parastatals serving the FCT Administration of their appointments with immediate effect as part of a radical shake-up.

Despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the then Governor Wike of Rivers State turned against PDP’s presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the last election and worked for President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Following the success of Bola Tinubu of the APC in the presidential elections, Mr Wike was appointed as the FCT minister as a reward for his support.

He has since assumed office and swung into action and earlier this week, he gave the owners of undeveloped plots of land in Abuja three months to erect structures on them after which time they will have their allocation papers revoked. Mr Wike said there are currently 189 plots of undeveloped land in Abuja and the owners need to develop them.

Now, Mr Wike has taken his reforms a step further with the immediate sacking of the heads of 21 parastatals, agencies and government companies working for the FCT Administration. Anthony Ogunleye, the minister's spokesman, identified the affected heads of the agencies as Abuja Investment Company, Abuja Markets Management, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company, Abuja Property Development Company, Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company, Abuja Film Village International, Powernoth AICL Equipment Leasing Company and Abuja Broadcasting Corporation.

Others include Abuja Enterprise Agency, FCT Water Board, FCT Emergency Management Agency, FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Hospital Management Board, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, FCT Scholarship Board and FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board. Other affected agencies include the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre, FCT Health Insurance Scheme, Satellite Towns Development Department and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

Mr Ogunleye said that the affected appointees should hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in rank immediately. He added that new appointments into the affected offices would be made in due course.