Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has expressed concern about a perceived lack of communication from Nyesom Wike, the minister of FCT, amid the worsening insecurity in Abuja.
In an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Kingibe stated that she has made several attempts to reach out to Wike through WhatsApp messages and letters but has not received any response.
“I have never met with the minister except when he came for appropriation. I have reached out to him several times. The minister for some reason thinks Senator Aduda is still the Senator of the FCT. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
“I have WhatsApp messages, I have written him one or two letters and I don’t get any response,” she claimed
Underlining a “disconnect” between elected officials and the FCT Minister, Kingibe underscored the need for effective communication to address the security challenges facing the region.
She pointed out that her efforts to contact Wike seemed to be in vain, and she raised the issue of the Minister possibly not recognising her as the current Senator for the FCT.
Kingibe, who was elected under the Labour Party (LP), revealed her plans to invite Wike and relevant security agencies before the Senate’s FCT committee. The objective is to discuss and assess the existing security plans for the Federal Capital Territory.
She emphasised the importance of coordination between elected officials, the police commissioner, and the head of the Department of State Services (DSS) to develop effective strategies to protect the people of the FCT.
Kingibe, not relying solely on hope, expressed confidence that Minister Wike would be summoned when the Senate resumes its sessions.
“When the Senate resumes, I plan that the (Senate) FCT committees specifically me, needs to sit with the two ministers and the security agencies for them to give us their plans concerning security,” she said.
However, she acknowledged that whether Wike responds or not is a separate matter. As the chief security officer of the FCT, Kingibe emphasised the need for a comprehensive security plan that addresses the increasing insecurity in the nation’s capital.
