Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he is unbothered by criticism from the elite over his strict enforcement of ground rent regulations, stating emphatically that he derives joy in stepping on the toes of the powerful.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike accused a section of Nigeria’s elite of hypocrisy—observing order in foreign countries but resisting the rule of law at home.
“They go abroad and see how things are done. But when they come back to Nigeria, they feel they are above the law,” he said.
Wike said the era of impunity in the nation’s capital is over, warning that “something will happen” to anyone who violates FCT laws, regardless of their status.
“There was a time the elite believed they could trample on laws and nothing would happen. That era is gone. This time, something will happen,” he stated firmly.
The minister has in recent months embarked on a campaign to sanitize the FCT by enforcing building regulations, revoking land titles, and compelling ground rent compliance—a move that has stirred reactions among Abuja’s upper class.
