ABUJA – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has drawn a hard line against ballooning wage demands, declaring that he will not stall the city’s infrastructure revolution to fund civil service allowances.
Speaking during a high-speed inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja on Thursday, January 29, 2026, the Minister made it clear that the FCT Administration (FCTA) must choose between building roads and paying “unrealistic” wages.
“How would we buy vehicles and construct roads if we bring out the whole money to pay allowances and wages? We can’t do that,” Wike stated, addressing the mounting pressure from unions for increased welfare packages amidst rising inflation.
Infrastructure First
Wike argued that a government that prioritises recurrent expenditure over capital development is essentially signing its own death warrant. He maintained that the primary mandate of the FCTA is to serve the millions of residents through modern transportation, improved security, and world-class road networks, rather than exhausting the treasury on a select few.
“We have to be realistic,” Wike added. “If we spend everything on salaries, who will pay for the flyovers? Who will buy the patrol vehicles for the police to keep you safe?”
Labour Tensions Brew
The Minister’s blunt stance comes at a time when labour unions are pushing for full implementation of palliative measures to cushion the impact of recent economic reforms. While Wike acknowledged the importance of workers’ welfare, his “infrastructure-first” policy signals that the FCTA will not be bullied into budget realignments that compromise his signature development projects.
The comments also come on the heels of a fierce political exchange between the Wike camp and the Rivers State Government. Only recently, Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, sparked a firestorm by suggesting that Governor Siminalayi Fubara should “prostrate” before the Minister to resolve their political rift.
As Wike doubles down on his “tough love” approach to both politics and budgeting, residents of the FCT are watching to see if his focus on bricks and mortar will ultimately win out over the bread-and-butter demands of the city’s workforce.
Will the FCTA labour unions accept Wike’s ‘development logic’, or is the nation’s capital heading toward a major industrial showdown?
