Reps D/Spokesperson Clears Wike Of Wrongdoing Over Alleged Unapproved Borrowing

Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has debunked claims that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike allegedly took loans without the approval of the National Assembly.

According to Agbese, Wike did not commit any infraction in the financing of projects and programmes of the FCT, describing the minister as one of the most legislatively compliant public servants under the scrutiny of the National Assembly.

The Senator representing FCT, Ireti Kingibe had recently alleged that the FCT Administration under Wike engaged in borrowings without securing the approval of the National Assembly.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, the senator said she had raised concerns with the Senate leadership over the borrowings, insisting that she had never seen Wike appear before the Senate to seek approval for any loan.

“I have never seen Wike come to the National Assembly and before the Senate to ask for approval of anything,” Kingibe said.

She said FCT budgets were usually presented to the Senate through the relevant committee before consideration and approval by the chamber.

The senator further claimed that she discovered the alleged borrowings while reviewing information from the Debt Management Office covering the period between August 2023 and March 2026.

But Agbese, while responding to the allegation in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said it was misleading to suggest that the FCT minister had circumvented the National Assembly or acted outside the law in securing funds for projects in the territory.

The lawmaker said the processes governing public borrowings involve the appropriate constitutional and administrative authorities, and the FCT minister cannot unilaterally create a sovereign borrowing obligation outside those established processes.

He said Wike had consistently subjected the FCT Administration’s activities to legislative scrutiny, including the presentation and consideration of the territory’s budgets and appearances before relevant committees of the National Assembly.

The Labour Party lawmaker said the minister’s record of engagement with the legislature contradicted any suggestion that he had deliberately operated outside legislative oversight.

“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 an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not, on its own, be interpreted as evidence that the minister violated the law in borrowings, noting that the territory had witnessed an unprecedented expansion in infrastructure development under Wike.

Agbese said the increase in FCT’s debt profile should be considered alongside the volume of ongoing infrastructure projects in the capital city under Wike, including massive road constructions, rehabilitation, transportation infrastructure and other development projects.

The lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue state argued that financing infrastructure through lawful borrowings was not, in itself, an offence, stressing that the critical issue was whether the required approvals and procedures had been followed.

The Deputy House spokesperson also faulted what he described as an attempt to portray the FCT minister as someone who operates without legislative oversight.

He said the National Assembly had maintained oversight over the FCT Administration and that Wike had appeared before relevant legislative committees whenever required.

“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 said the legislature’s oversight role should be exercised through facts, documents and established procedures rather than political accusations.

He maintained that if there were specific borrowing transactions which Senator Kingibe believed were unlawful, the appropriate approach would be to identify the transactions and invite the relevant authorities to provide the documentation governing them.

He also cautioned against conflating the minister’s responsibility for administering the FCT with the constitutional responsibilities of the Federal Government and other institutions involved in public finance and debt management.

The lawmaker said Wike’s record in Abuja should be assessed on the basis of the projects executed, the processes followed and the measurable impact of the administration’s interventions rather than allegations that had not been established.