The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he is not popular among civil servants because he blocked avenues through which public funds were allegedly diverted.
Wike made the remarks during his monthly media chat on the state of the nation in Abuja on Thursday, where he explained that funds previously spent on unnecessary activities are now being redirected to infrastructure projects, particularly road construction.
According to him, he has refused to approve requests for expensive foreign conferences, insisting that such trips are a waste of public resources.
He said, “We waste our resources on frivolities, you expect me to approve funds for you to go for conference in America on land administration, what’s that? Go to Lagos and Port Harcourt, study how their own works or did not work and make a comparison here.
“How do you encourage me to sign N20 million to travel to America for a conference of one week for land administration, I won’t do that.
“Before I came you had about 65 percent of the budget for recurrent expenditure. How would such society develop. I came onboard and said no, 70 percent is for capital expenditure while 30 percent is for recurrent expenditure.
“Some people say conferences for corruption and I say what is that? You are going for conferences to do what? These are ways government funds are being diverted. I say put this money in this road here and the people will get the impact.
“And that’s why I can’t be popular among civil servants, if you ask anybody today, one Minister they won’t like is me. Why? Those money for conferences, I put the money together for roads.”
