The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike on Thursday declared that he has the “political will” to take bold decisions as a leader.
Heaven did “not fall,” according to Wike, who recalls making a judgement against the Nigeria Police Force.
Wike recalled that “heaven has been at rest” since he made the decision to prevent the police in Abuja from building certain structures under high tension cables.
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Wike made these remarks while delivering his keynote address at the 2025 Innovate Africa Conference in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Reimagining Africa’s leadership and Investment’, Wike said it’s difficult for leaders to take very difficult decisions.
He said: “I have been confronted with leadership, when a leader cannot take decisions at challenging times, then that should not be leadership.
“But leadership has been provided by taking a decision and that made this money to be available from the federal to the states. What the states do with that money is not a concern of those that leadership is given to.
“For me, giving me the responsibility as the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, I have that political will without any apologies to anybody to make sure that Abuja competes with other cities of the world.
“I have taken the decision that so many people thought why would he do this? Can he stand this?
“Three days ago, I was informed that the police was constructing houses under the high tension and the Development Control went there to say you cannot do this.
“I will go there by myself and I will not allow it to happen and I went there and I saw the high tension and I said look, ‘we must say that under my leadership this will not be allowed.’
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“And I told the Development Control, bring down the buildings, heaven will not fall, heaven will be at rest. And as I speak to you, heaven is at rest. That is leadership. It does not matter who is involved. It is leadership.
“People come to us, you know that things are wrong, what you are doing is wrong. It has nothing to do with the political party you belong to.”
