The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Wednesday distanced himself from the report that he acquired a N300 Million Armoured Lexus LX600.
There had been reports online that Wike who was just was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu purchased a bulletproof car.
Wike while speaking after a tour of the Abuja Light Rail called on newsmen to confirm if the SUV is bulletproof.
He said, “We are now going to the office to have a direct report from each of the departments, but I have seen what is going on in the social media, how you (FCTA Permanent Secretary) bought a bulletproof car of N300 Million Naira that I am using.
“So I want you people to go hit your hand there (on the car) and see whether it is a treated car. With all due respect, people should be careful not to destroy other people.
“When I came, the Permanent Secretary said they have a car for us, and the car we use is this. I have never approved any car to be bought and I have not used an official bullet-proof car. Whether I have cars as governor? Yes, as a governor, what do you expect I should have? But, I am not using bulletproof car as FCT Minister, so we should report the right thing, and not destroy ourselves. I want you to take a look at where you have the flag, and see whether it is a bullet-proof car.”
Wike who toured the light rail from the metro station to the Abuja airport told the contractors, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company CCECC to reduce their one-year timeline for the completion of the vandalized portion of the project to at most eight months.
He said residents of Abuja must begin to feel the presence of the government immediately.
Wike said, “This is a good project. This is one of the projects that we will hurriedly complete and put to use. The funds are available and I have directed the Permanent Secretary to pay the contractors.
“People can only have confidence in the rail if the existing one is working, we will make this route work before we talk of another route.”
Wike however lamented that the Metro Station – Airport route was not very viable, adding that in the nearest future, his administration will begin work on commercially viable routes linking places like Nyanya and Kubwa to the city centre.
He also queried why the perimeter fence of the metro station was not completed, noting that FCT officials and the contractors should not complain of vandalism when the basic security requirement had not been put in place.
