Wike Cracks Down on FCT Waste Contractors, Sets Up Task Force to Enforce Performance
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to waste management contractors operating in Abuja, declaring that the administration will no longer tolerate inefficiency in the sector.
Speaking during a meeting with contractors on Friday, Wike described the current state of waste collection across the capital as unacceptable, blaming what he called “political contractors” who, despite lacking capacity, managed to secure government contracts.
According to the minister, an audit of the system revealed that many firms awarded waste management responsibilities had neither the equipment nor the structure to deliver. “In our system, anything goes,” Wike said. “We have to put a stop to these political contractors who don’t have the capacity.”
As part of a broader reform effort, the minister announced the immediate creation of a task force that will monitor contractors’ activities daily before any payments are approved. He also promised a review of the current zoning arrangement for waste collection.
Wike was especially critical of affluent residents in Asokoro and Maitama, accusing them of contributing to environmental degradation by refusing to pay for waste services while dumping refuse indiscriminately. “If you go to Asokoro now, you will see no poor man there. They bring out their refuse and put it outside, expecting government to clean it for free,” he said.
He issued a direct warning to the contractor responsible for Asokoro, which falls along his daily route to work: any visible piles of refuse, he said, would result in instant contract termination. “As I go to work and I see refuse, I will terminate the work immediately,” he vowed.
The minister further directed all contractors to deploy weekend teams, insisting that waste must not be left to accumulate on Saturdays and Sundays. He said deductions would be made for every day of non-performance, while companies with faulty or inadequate equipment risk outright termination.
He also ordered an urgent verification exercise—due to conclude Monday—to confirm that all companies, particularly the 54 firms handling multiple zones, possess functional offices and usable equipment.
Despite the tough measures, Wike urged contractors to treat their assignments as a national duty, and he assured them that the administration would ensure prompt payments for completed work. “The only person who knows me is the one who wants to do the job and do it well,” he said. “Influence and connections don’t matter. What matters is getting the job done.”
