He came to the job with a sobriquet “Mr. Projects”. His tenure as governor of Rivers state for 8 years truly transformed the face of the city of Portharcourt with over 10 flyover bridges doting the city. Several roads were equally touched and infrastructures renewed. He was, therefore, a perfect fit for selection as Minister for Federal Capital Territory.

Mr. Nyesom Wike made it clear in his inaugural press conference shortly after he was sworn in as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where he was assigned was going to take a new look and experience positive changes. Thirty days after, the nation’s capital is turning to a construction site as contractors are returning to abandoned sites.

Indeed, in Abuja, the seat of government of the federation, the fear of Mr. Wike is the beginning of wisdom to the staff of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), contractors and even residents.

He made it clear that staff of FCDA must work to justify their pay and recently ordered the management of the Authority to pay arrears of money owed workers ought since May this year. In Abuja, you can take it to the bank if Mr. Wike says something, he means it and will do it.

Deep under his tough posture and blunt talks is an entirely different mold of human being, a unique psychological entity that respects human beings and institutions. During his meeting with critical stakeholders, he noticed that some traditional rulers came in rickety vehicles. Without prompting, the Minister presented car gifts – jeeps – to the traditional rulers in the territory. They were also given money for their maintenance.

Drawing from his experience as former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Wike promised contractors that payment for jobs done would be made promptly stressing that once the government fulfills its own part of the bargain, no contractor would be allowed to execute a shoddy job or abandon such jobs.

Also, during his inaugural media outing, he said government would address the land administration according to the law in the FCT. Thirty days after, the Minister is not only addressing it but ensuring that those who have been benefiting from land racketeering seek a new vocation.

Previously in the FCT, through friends or by luck, one could apply for land with one hundred thousand naira (N100,000.00), get allocation and wait for some years to allow development get to the place before offering to sell it in millions. In all these, the allottee has not invested a kobo except, maybe, engaging a surveyor to help him or her identify the location of the land.

Mr. Wike last week approved a three-month grace period for owners of 189 undeveloped plots of land in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to begin to develop them or get their allocation papers revoked.

The Director of Information and Communication at the FCT Administration, Muhammad Sule, stated last Sunday in Abuja that the affected titled holders had obtained building plan approvals, but were yet to develop the properties.

He stated that the affected property owners were expected to develop the property within the stipulated period or have their title documents revoked in line with extant laws.

The grace period, he explained, applied to individuals and to corporate organisations that had showed the desire to develop their property by obtaining building plan approvals.

He added that public institutions that had land titles within the FCT but yet to develop same were also advised to do so within the three months grace period to avoid the sanction.

“The minister has extended this gesture to 189 property owners due to their desire to develop the properties by obtaining building plan approvals, a prerequisite for the development of any property in the FCT.

“Owners of the plots were exempted from revocation because they had already demonstrated firm commitment to develop their property by obtaining necessary documents from the FCT Administration.

“The minister is urging the affected property owners to take advantage of the gesture and develop their plots in line with the terms of their Offer of Right-of-Occupancy,’’ Sule stated.

But 167 allottee of plots were not that lucky,The Federal Capital Territory Administration penultimate Thursday night revoked 167 plots of land in some uptown districts of the nation’s capital, Abuja.

The FTC Administration Revokes Ownership of Undeveloped Plots

“The Federal Capital Territory Administration hereby informs the general public that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act 1978, revoked the under-listed plots with names and titles as reflected in our records for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy, to wit non-development,” the notice signed by the Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, stated.

Mr. Wike had on his first day in office as the Minister of the FCT vowed to revoke any land contravening the Abuja Land Use Act, no matter whose ox is gored. Consequently, the Minister gave a two-week grace to allottees to pay their ground rents or risk revocation of their allocations. This development has triggered land owners who could not pay ground rents or develop their lands to offer their land for sale.

The volume of land for sale in the property market has affected the value of land in the territory. “The price of land is crashing now. Everybody is trying to off-load their plots to prevent total loss”, a property player in Abuja said on Friday.

Although it was observed that some of the affected land owners are known industry and political players, the revocation of the plots could not be said to have been politically motivated. It was a purely legal decision executing the statutes.

Among the revoked plots of land are those of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Udoma Udoma, former Cross River Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, former Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. Ufot Ekaette and the late publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, Musa Egu, Hassan Hadejia and Ishaya Baba.

What are the implications of Mr. Wike’s actions in the last 30 days on the acceptability and perception of FCT residents considering the fact that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to secure 25 percent in the FCT in the 25 February Presidential Election?

Residents are already experiencing changes since FCT had a new sheriff. Street lights that never blinked in the eight years of Malam Mohammed Bello, the immediate past Minister of the territory under former President Muhammadu Buhari, have started working optimally. It was as if, Mr. Wike brought a new set of people to run the engineering department of the territory as hitherto dark streets are now lighted; streets experiencing flooding are now being attended to, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) is now monitoring its contractors employed to pack wastes in the territory.

The return of contractors to sites have a multiplier effect on the economy as artisans are employed, people cook for them, they are taking to and from work by commercial motorists in a long chain that put smiles on a lot of people’s faces.

The payment of ground rents and others is boosting the revenue of the FCT and by implication, it would be able to take care of it’s infrastructure development, again, FCT residents are going to be involved in the execution of these projects.

A resident, Mr Emeka Chuks said the Minister so far is on the right path adding that:” FCT residents are not robots or idiots that cannot think. I can assure you that if he continues to deliver the dividend of democracy, a lot of people will vote for the party in the next election”.

Another resident Madam Iyabo Afolabi who expressed reservation for FCDA’s move to stop street trading called on government to provide low cost markets for traders with goods less than five thousand naira (N5000). She ,however, said the repair of street lights in the city now makes it possible for traders to have extra hours of trading before going home.

Sustaining the current tempo without fear or favour would go a long way in determining how the FCT residents would embrace the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and by extension, President Tinubu, if he contests another election.