By Daniel Tyokua
A group, Movement for the Advancement of National Transformation (MANTRA), has asked the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe to allow the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike to concentrate on projects that will have positive impact on the residents.
The group urged the Senator to desist from making comments that appear combative, but to provoke discussions on developmental issues in the 10th National Assembly.
This followed the recent comment credited to Kingibe, that the minister of FCT lacks executive powers to inaugurate mandate Secretaries for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) without going through the Senate for screening.
In a statement signed by the Convener of the group, Jude Ndukwe, and Publicity Secretary, Sani Gafar at the weekend, said the remarks of the senator gives her out as being unnecessarily combative, and implored her to see Wike as a partner in progress rather than a competitor.
The statement reads: “We are shocked to read the remarks of Senator Ireti Kingibe regarding Wike’s works as FCT minister and wish to state that such outbursts are unnecessary, unhelpful and retrogressive.
“While we respect the views of the senator as that of one concerned for the FCT, it is pertinent to put some records straight for the sake of posterity.
“It is not true that Wike as FCT minister does not have executive powers as stated by Senator Kingibe. As a member of the Federal Executive Council Wike has full executive powers to administer the FCT according to the vision and dictates of the President who appointed him. It is the same for all the ministers and Wike’s cannot be different.
“It is also not true that Mandate Secretaries appointed and inaugurated for the FCT need pass through screening at the senate. To agitate for that is to demonstrate a lack of knowledge of government processes.
“Appointment of mandate secretaries are not a creation of the Legislature but that of the Executive.
“In fact, it was the creation of an Executive Order by former President Olusegun Obasanjo after the dissolution of the ministry of FCT in 2004. The Executive Order: ‘Establishment of Functions and Departments and Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (Dissolution) Order No 1, 2004 as modified’, gave the President the powers to appoint and inaugurate mandate secretaries as may be recommended by the minister of FCT without any need of passing through screening by the senate or any other such institution”
End.
