By Samson Adeyanju
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Nyesom Wike, has been urged to urgently address the worsening waste situation in Abuja to prevent a public health crisis.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, raised the alarm on Friday via his X account.
He said the city’s waste management system “has certainly broken” and called on Wike to take immediate action.
“Refuse is taking over the city. Minister Wike should pay immediate attention to this,” Ajayi said, while acknowledging the minister’s achievements in expanding roads and restarting abandoned infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), has urged President Tinubu to compel Wike to apologise over derogatory remarks made against a naval officer, A. M. Yerima, during a dispute over a property in Abuja.
Falana said both Wike and the officer erred by taking the law into their own hands, though he praised the officer for maintaining restraint.
Falana highlighted the minister’s statutory duties under the Land Use Act but noted that Wike’s use of uncomplimentary language breached principles of dignity and respect.
He cited a Ghanaian precedent where a minister apologised for insulting a citizen, stressing that no public officer has the right to verbally abuse any Nigerian.
The comments were made on Thursday at the opening of the Legal Year of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, organised by the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), UNIABUJA Chapter.
Ajayi and Falana’s statements put renewed focus on governance and civility in public service amid rising concerns over waste management and law enforcement in Abuja.
