Why does FCT have a ministry and what are the duties of the minister?
Less than a week after President Bola Tinubu assigned portfolios to ministerial nominees, the 45 confirmed ministers-designate were sworn in as federal ministers on Monday, August 20, 2023, at the Conference Centre of the State House in Abuja.
With this inauguration, Tinubu’s cabinet has become the largest in Nigeria since the country returned to democracy in 1999.
Out of the 10 new or modified portfolios, Wale Edun, who previously served as Tinubu’s Commissioner for Finance during his tenure as Lagos State governor, has assumed the role of Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, whose ministerial nomination sparked controversy on social media due to his old tweets, has been appointed to the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. In an unexpected twist, Dele Alake, who served as the Special Adviser for Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy to the President and Commissioner for Information under Tinubu’s administration in Lagos, and was anticipated to have a similar portfolio, has been assigned to the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development.
Although mixed reactions have followed the announcement of the ministers and their portfolios, the appointment of Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has triggered new debates concerning Abuja’s status as a State.
Why Abuja Has a Minister:
Abuja, encompassing 1,476 square kilometers, became Nigeria’s capital when it was relocated from Lagos on December 12, 1991.
According to Section 147 (3) of the Nigerian constitution as amended, the “President shall appoint at least one Minister from each State, who shall be an indigene of such State.”
Why Abuja does not have an elected Governor?
There has been ongoing debate regarding its status, especially pertaining to elections and the principle of federal character.
Since the February 25, 2023, presidential election, where Tinubu failed to secure at least 25 percent of the total votes cast in the Federal Territory, which he now governs from, the argument about whether Abuja should be recognized as a State has dominated public discussions. Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, is pursuing legal action to overturn the election, asserting that Tinubu did not fulfill the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 134 of the constitution.
Ministries Under FTC:
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), responsible for administering the Capital Territory, was established by former president Olusegun Obasanjo on December 31, 2004.
The ministry encompasses the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Abuja Geographical Information System, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), the Federal Capital Development Authority, and others. It has been overseen by four ministers.
FCTA is considered a special administrative region in Nigeria, governed by a minister appointed by the president. Wike will be tasked with administering the FCT, including planning, development, and security. He will also supervise various agencies and departments responsible for providing services to FCT residents.
Moments after taking office, Wike, during his first press conference as FTC minister, warned property developers and landlords who are altering Abuja’s masterplan that their properties may be demolished.
“To those distorting Abuja’s master plan, beware. If you’ve constructed where prohibited, it will be demolished,” he cautioned.
Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, whose ministerial confirmation has been delayed due to petitions related to human rights violations, was Abuja’s first FCT minister from 2004 to 2007. Others include Aliyu Moddibbo Umar (2007-2008), Mohammed Adamu Aliero (2008 – February 2010), Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed (2010-2015), and Muhammad Musa Bello (2015 – 2023).
Although Section 147 (2) grants the president the constitutional right to assign portfolios to ministers after Senate confirmation, the requirement that the “President shall appoint at least one Minister from each State, who shall be an indigene of such State,” none of the past ministers of Abuja were indigenes, further blurring the true status of Nigeria’s capital territory.
