The Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability (COCTA) says President Bola Tinubu should sack Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), over his confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja.
COCTA’s call comes after the video of the FCT minister confronting a naval officer at a disputed plot of land in Abuja surfaced online on 11 November.
In a statement by COCTA’s national director of communication and advocacy, Haruna Abdulsalam on Saturday, the group noted that Wike’s altercation with the officer is an embarrassment to the Tinubu administration and the nation.
The group said public officials are appointed to promote the image of the administration and not to harass or intimidate others carrying out their constitutional duties.
‘We urgently call on the president to establish a transparent and independent panel to investigate the alleged conversion of hundreds of green areas in the FCT into residential estates, hotels, and shopping plazas’, the statement reads.
‘This probe should also examine the suspicious revocation of land allocations, particularly those benefiting family and friends of influential individuals, as well as the sale of public lands earmarked for hospitals and other essential public services to private entities.
‘These lands were usually sold in Billions paid in cash with foreign currency.
‘We possess documented evidence of these malpractices, including petitions and records of revoked land allocations, which demonstrate a disturbing trend of exploiting public resources for personal gain.
‘It is imperative that those responsible are held accountable and that the FCT’s green spaces and public assets are protected for the benefit of all citizens’.
The group asked President Tinubu to replace Wike with Tein Jack-Rich, an engineer from Rivers state and also a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
COCTA argued that Jack-Rich is competent for the position, owing to his ‘deep understanding of community, urban development, and public service’.
‘We commend esteemed Nigerians, including human rights lawyer Femi Falana, minister of defence, Badaru, and Bello Matawalle, for their unwavering stance against unwarranted alterations and their resolute dismissal of any justification for disciplining the naval officer involved in the altercation’, COCTA said.
‘Their courage and commitment to upholding justice and fairness are truly commendable.
‘We demand accountability, transparency, and justice in the management of FCT’s resources, and we will continue to advocate for the rights of Nigerians to a sustainable and equitable urban environment’.
