Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has vowed to eliminate criminal elements from the streets of Abuja. He made this pledge during the Ministerial Sectoral Updates, a series of activities marking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first year in office.
The session featured several key officials, including Senator Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and National Planning; Dr. Jamila Ibrahim Bio, Minister of Youth Development; Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, Minister of Steel Development; Dr. Mariya Mahmud, Minister of State for FCT; Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum; and Mr. Ayodele Olawande, Minister of State for Youth Development.
Addressing concerns about harassment faced by Nigerians and visitors due to the activities of touts, Wike acknowledged the problem and outlined a plan to tackle it. “We have called the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to discuss forming a committee to manage revenue collection in a way that reduces touting and harassment,” Wike said. “We need to ensure the money goes to the FCT, and then AMAC can collect its share. This will help minimize double taxation and the associated issues.”
Wike assured that addressing this problem is part of the government’s responsibilities, but cautioned that it would take some time to fully implement the necessary measures.
