FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja
FCT Minister Barr Nyesom Wike says Abuja needs a waste recycling factory, not just monthly sanitation exercises, if the city is to stay clean long-term.
Speaking to journalists after an inspection tour of ongoing projects, Wike argued that once-a-month environmental sanitation only gives the city a clean look for that Saturday.
“If you do once in a month environmental sanitation, how does that make the city clean?” he asked.
He explained that the exercise mainly involves residents bringing out refuse, cleaning drainage, and letting waste contractors dispose of it.
For a lasting solution, Wike said Abuja must move toward recycling. “All over the world, you must have recycling. You must have a factory for recycling the waste. Having a dump site is not enough.”
He revealed that the FCTA is already in talks and receiving offers from firms with experience running waste factories abroad that turn waste into new products.
Wike also used the tour to assess several projects slated for inauguration during the president’s third year in office. The minister described the judges’ quarters as “beautiful” and 99% ready, with work done by Gilmor.
He said he checked the furnishing, curtains, and finishing himself and was pleased with the quality. The area for the groundbreaking of residences for the Industrial Court and Code of Conduct Tribunal was also inspected.
Still speaking on project inspection, Wike said the N5 road project, handled by one of the biggest contractors, is 100% complete. The contractor has also been tied to an 800-meter stretch leading to DBI, connecting to where Lubricant currently stops, to link up the entire area.
Responding to the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, Wike said the new division is almost 90% complete. Adding that Wike, it falls short of the quality he expects and has asked the contractor to correct several errors before the inauguration.
“I didn’t expect that the contractor would not have performed better than this,” he said, but noted there’s still time for amendments.
The minister addressed criticism from the NBA chairman over the FCTA building houses for the judiciary and the National Assembly. He said building infrastructure for other arms of government is not new—the Supreme Court was built by the FCTA—and does not amount to interference.
“The mere fact that the executive constructs does not mean that will lead to interference in the judiciary,” Wike stated.
He questioned the NBA’s stance, pointing out that state governments often fund NBA activities, including the upcoming general conference in August.
He argued that accepting government funding has not stopped the NBA from speaking out, so building homes for judges to help them focus on work should not be seen as eroding judicial independence.
“We are focused, we’ll go ahead,” Wike said, adding that the FCTA will not be deterred from delivering on its promises.
For a better society
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
