Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the construction of official residences for judges in Abuja, insisting that the buildings are public assets developed by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and not personal gifts to members of the judiciary.
Speaking during a media parley, Wike said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the intervention after receiving complaints about the shortage of official accommodation for judges serving in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the minister, the project was initiated to strengthen the judiciary by providing adequate housing for judicial officers in line with government responsibilities.
“President Tinubu, in his wisdom, said he had received complaints about a shortage of accommodation for judges, and directed that we intervene and provide accommodation. This accommodation is not personal. It is a public building,” Wike said.
Wike stressed that the residences were constructed by the FCDA as part of its statutory responsibility to develop and maintain public infrastructure within the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that the buildings remain government property and should not be viewed as private benefits for individual judges.
According to him, the provision of official residences is intended to improve working conditions for judicial officers while supporting the efficient administration of justice in the nation’s capital.
The FCT minister also dismissed allegations made by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Bode George regarding the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
READ MORE: Wike: Ruling Parties Want Opposition Crisis To Continue
Wike rejected claims that the Chief Judge had met him to make personal requests, describing the allegation as unfair and unfounded.
“Bode George, who claims to be a founding father of the PDP, has not won a single seat for the party in Lagos since 1999. He is laying claim to ‘founding father’ status on the back of structures built by others in other states. It is unfair for Bode George to allege that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court came to see me to make personal demands,” he said.
The minister maintained that the construction of judges’ residences was a government project carried out through the FCDA under the directive of President Tinubu and should not be interpreted as a personal favour to members of the judiciary.
He reiterated that all public buildings developed within the Federal Capital Territory are executed by the FCDA in line with its legal mandate to provide infrastructure for government institutions and public service delivery.