Wike: Civil Servants Awarded N5.2bn Contracts Without Approval

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that his administration owes contractors N5.2bn, insisting the disputed projects were illegally awarded by civil servants without ministerial approval.

On Monday, a group of contractors protested at Wike’s residence, alleging they were owed billions for completed projects. But in a statement, the minister’s aide, Lere Olayinka, clarified that Wike had not awarded any new contracts since taking office and had already cleared a N10bn backlog inherited from his predecessor.

Speaking on Tuesday during the inauguration of rehabilitation works at the Lower Usman Dam in Ushafa, Wike described the protest as “blackmail” by corrupt officials hiding behind contractors.

“Civil servants sit in their offices and award contracts of N10m, N15m, N20m without the minister’s knowledge. Then they turn around to say the minister is owing N15bn. That will never happen! Nobody can intimidate me,” Wike said.

The minister vowed that only properly approved and funded contracts would be honoured. He challenged anyone alleging otherwise to produce documents proving he personally awarded the disputed jobs.

Wike also condemned the practice of splitting contracts into small sums—N10m, N15m, N25m—describing it as a ploy to siphon funds without tangible results.

“If I award contracts, I will pay. But I don’t award contracts without money. Let nobody say I borrowed money,” he declared, warning that he would not bow to pressure or sustain the culture of frivolous spending.

The FCT minister maintained that his focus remains on transparency, fiscal discipline, and delivering meaningful projects rather than settling

questionable debts.