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• Challenges youths to compare president’s record with previous administrations
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Tinubu has ended five decades of neglect of young people and women in the territory by establishing dedicated secretariats to address their needs.
Wike said the creation of the FCT Youth Secretariat and the Women Affairs Secretariat under the Tinubu administration marked a historic departure from the practice of successive governments, which, according to him, failed to provide dedicated administrative structures for the two groups since the territory was created in 1976.
The minister challenged FCT youths to compare Tinubu’s performance with those of previous administrations, insisting that leadership should be assessed on the basis of tangible achievements rather than political sentiments, social media narratives and unfulfilled promises.
He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during an interactive session with FCT youths, where he urged them to examine the opportunities previous administrations provided for their participation in governance.
“The FCT was created in 1976. What was the position of the youths and women then? Was there any establishment of a youth secretariat? Was there any establishment of a Women Secretariat? What forum was given to the youths and women to be included in the administration?” he queried.
The minister argued that the establishment of the two secretariats was not merely a political gesture but an institutional foundation for addressing longstanding concerns of young people and women in the territory.
“If these youth and women secretariats had been created then, probably most of the things you are talking about today would not have been raised again. Somebody has now come to lay a foundation to take care of those things that were not previously cared for,” he said.
The minister also cautioned the youths against allowing social media campaigns and political propaganda to influence their assessment of government, insisting that they should focus on measurable results.
“This is not social media. This is not about telling lies or being a content developer. We are being practical. It is time for us to stop giving fish lies and begin to be realistic,” he said.
Wike also defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy, describing the decision as courageous and necessary to free resources for national development.
He argued that successive presidential candidates had acknowledged that the subsidy regime was unsustainable but lacked the political will to remove it.
According to him, the policy has increased allocations to state and local governments, providing them with more resources to meet their obligations and execute development projects.
He also cited the relative stability in the university system as evidence of the benefits of the administration’s policies, contrasting it with the recurring industrial disputes that previously disrupted academic calendars.
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“For the past three years, have we had any strike in our universities? No. Why is that not something we should recognise? Money has remained available to the sub-nationals. States and local governments now have more money,” he said.
Wike maintained that difficult economic decisions required courage and consistency, adding that the benefits of reforms should be assessed beyond their immediate impact.
The interactive session also provided an opportunity for youth organisations to present proposals and demands covering education, scholarships, employment, skills acquisition, transportation and the protection of indigenous communities.
The President of the FCT Youth Network, Comrade Isaac David, disclosed that youth organisations had developed an FCT Youth Development Policy in collaboration with international organisations, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
He appealed to Wike to support the establishment of an FCT Education Trust Fund to attract contributions from corporate organisations and development partners to strengthen the education sector.
David also urged FCT youths to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, calling on them to demonstrate their commitment through their Permanent Voter Cards.
Similarly, youth leader Destiny Yamawo called for increased budgetary allocations to the FCT Scholarship Board to accommodate more beneficiaries, including students seeking scholarships abroad.
He also urged the administration to improve teachers’ welfare through the Universal Basic Education structure to prevent recurring industrial disputes that disrupt learning in public schools.
On the ongoing review of the FCT Master Plan, Yamawo called for the inclusion of indigenous communities in development plans and adequate compensation for residents where relocation becomes unavoidable.
The President of the Indigenous Youths of the FCT, Hassan Aliyu, also sought the minister’s intervention in approving scholarship applications for FCT indigenes, disclosing that the list of successful applicants had reportedly been forwarded to Wike’s office.
He further requested dedicated buses to enable students to attend academic conferences, leadership programmes and other educational engagements.
The Chairman of the FCT Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Apostle Peter Anyebe, commended Wike’s infrastructure and urban development initiatives, describing the transformation of the nation’s capital as visible.
Similarly, Adam Ahmed, Chairman of the Muslim Youth Society of Nigeria, praised the minister’s development record, referencing his achievements as Rivers State governor and ongoing infrastructure projects in the FCT.
The youths pledged to collaborate with the administration to translate the proposals presented at the meeting into practical programmes that would expand opportunities and improve living conditions for young people across the territory’s six area councils.
