FCTA: NOT ALL ROSES ARE RED

It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of civic responsibility that I write to alert Nigerians—particularly those who still value truth, accountability, and justice—about a troubling trend unfolding in our nation’s capital under the current leadership of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

What is being sold to the public as reform or development under the mantra of “Wike is working” is, in fact, a grand illusion. It is a well-scripted charade, laced with bloated contracts, inflated projects, and a dangerous disregard for the foundational principles upon which Abuja was conceived. Even more disturbing is the apparent complicity and oversight by a Senate Committee chaired by a former Director of Treasury and Budget.

The Master Plan of Abuja was designed with foresight and deliberate planning, especially in preserving green and open spaces for environmental sustainability and future public use. However, these lands are now being allocated and sold in questionable deals to private interests with alleged ties to the Minister of the FCT. Few newspaper courageously reported on some of these abuses, backed with visual and documentary evidence. Yet, beyond the media, there has been an alarming silence from agencies and institutions that ought to act in defense of the environment and public interest.

The current climate in the FCT is unfortunately steeped in sectarian bias, where appointments and promotions are increasingly based on religious and regional affiliations rather than merit and competence. The trend suggests a vendetta-driven governance style—perhaps a reaction to electoral disappointments—where exclusion, not inclusion, is now the order of the day.

This bias is also evident in the appointments of acting or overseeing directors across departments and the curious delay in confirming a substantive Head of Service, despite claims of merit. The tenure extensions for certain civil servants, perceived to be part of the minister’s inner circle, further raise questions about fairness, legality, and the fear of independent leadership within the bureaucracy.

Almost every major contract awarded under the current FCTA regime reportedly lacks transparency and due process. Inflated figures, hurried approvals, and opaque procurement procedures now characterize public project execution in the nation’s capital.This is not just about poor governance—it is about an erosion of trust. It is about a systematic dismantling of institutional checks in the name of fast-track reforms that serve private interests. This has serious implications for the President’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which is premised on discipline, reform, and people-oriented governance.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came into office with bold promises of reform and national renewal. But the FCT Minister appears to be working at cross-purposes, undermining that vision through acts that distort the Abuja Master Plan, divide the workforce, and weaken the service delivery mechanism of government.

Rather than being a beacon of the President’s developmental agenda, the Federal Capital Territory has become a theatre of primitive accumulation, elite capture, and administrative impunity.It is time to speak truth to power. It is time for Nigerians, civil society groups, the media, and public institutions to rise in defense of due process, merit, and justice in the administration of our Federal Capital Territory.

Abuja belongs to all Nigerians—not to any individual, group, or political beneficiary. The founding fathers envisioned a capital city rooted in fairness, inclusivity, and visionary planning. We must not allow a few to erase that legacy in pursuit of personal gain.

Muhammad Masara, Abaji, FCT 

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