Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a firm stance against the indefinite strike initiated by resident doctors in FCTA hospitals, declaring that he will not be blackmailed or stopped from executing critical infrastructure projects for the city.
On Thursday, during the flag-off ceremony for constructing the Arterial Road N1 from Wuye District to Ring Road II, the Minister addressed the industrial action head-on, framing it as a political tool rather than a genuine grievance.
“The SSS called me, and people said they would demonstrate that we are paying attention to roads and not paying attention to health. I called the director, ‘Listen, demonstration is allowed everywhere.’ Nobody will blackmail me. Nobody will stop me from doing what I think is right and doing it at the right time.
“I have never seen a country where we thrive on blackmail. This is not my road, but Wike’s or President Tinubu’s. It is a road that will open up economic activities and improve the welfare of the people here. So there’s nothing too special that we are doing it because only we will use the road? No.
“The people who now say, look, they are being owed allowances, fine. We lost our Head of Service; we just appointed an acting Head of Service. And I said, okay, go and check: how much are they talking about? They said, Oh, they have not employed doctors,” he said.
Wike dismissed claims that his administration was prioritising road construction over healthcare, revealing that the 2025 capital budget for the health sector alone is N25 billion.
He blamed bureaucratic delays for the unresolved issues, stating that the FCTA only received budget approval from the National Assembly in July.
Addressing the specific grievances of the doctors, which include unpaid allowances and a shortage of employed medical personnel, Wike said that the processes to resolve them are underway, but must follow due procedure.
“If the Permanent Secretary, Treasury, brings the bill now for the allowances, what is my concern? Why would I hold it? They will pay. But know that everything has a procedure.
“But all these things are because people are inciting you to strike. A strike doesn’t work that way,” he said.
He accused political actors within the civil service of inciting the strike for their own purposes and warned them that their efforts were in vain.
“I also know that civil servants are egging on political heads who are encouraging them. You are wasting your time. I know this because you don’t understand that we have been in politics for a long time,” he said.
The Minister dared the striking workers to proceed with their planned demonstrations but clarified that they would not halt government activities.
“But if you tell me you will demonstrate, you will block the road, I told the director of SSS, allow them to demonstrate, but nobody can stop me from holding this occasion today, not one. Enough is enough,” he said.
Wike concluded by reiterating his commitment to dialogue, but on his terms, insisting that the proper channels must be followed. “We will sit down and we will iron out issues. That is the way it is done,” he said.
