The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed satisfaction in challenging powerful figures.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja, Wike warned that all property owners in Abuja who have not yet paid their ground rent must do so or face consequences.
The former Rivers State governor also criticized some senior members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Bode George, insisting that the party must settle the ground rent for its Abuja secretariat.
Wike further stated that his predecessors in the FCT, including current Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, lacked the resolve to enforce ground rent payments from influential political figures owning properties in the nation’s capital.
He said, “Look at what we are doing differently. People have said that FCT was not working (but) now it is working which means I’m doing things that they (past FCT ministers) refused to do.
“I found out that most of them didn’t have the courage to annoy people, to step on toes but I take joy when I step on the toes of big men; those who say nothing will happen but I say something will happen. It makes me happy.
“All they want me to do is to make decisions against poor people saying nothing will happen to them but I say something will happen. That is why we making results. If you don’t do the right thing, too bad. I don’t care.”
The Wike administration in the FCT had published the details of 9,000 debtors in newspapers, asking them to pay their ground rents to avoid the risk of forfeiture.
The administration subsequently announced on May 23, 2025 that it would take possession of about 5,000 affected properties owing ground rents between 10 and 43 years and began sealing and taking over properties of debtors including the PDP national secretariat but President Bola Tinubu granted the defaulters a 14-day grace period to settle their outstanding payments and penalties.