The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has refuted allegations that building homes for judges in Abuja is aimed at swaying them for political advantage.
Wike clarified that the initiative to provide housing for judges is not his personal policy but rather part of a welfare package introduced by President Bola Tinubu to strengthen judicial independence.
Speaking during a media chat on Wednesday, Wike emphasized that the project was approved in the 2024 budget, and he is simply fulfilling his duty to implement it.
Wike explained: “(Tinubu said) ‘Where are the judges living? They have no homes and therefore open to political manipulation and for me as a president who wants to guaranty the independence of the judiciary judges must have their homes’.
“I am not Mr President; I am only lucky to be appointed as a minister under this administration and who is in the position to implement his policies. And Mr President said, look, this is what he wants, come up and see what we can do.
“It was approved by Mr President, sent to the National Assembly in the 2024 budget that there should be construction of judges and Justices quarters. That they should move judges from where they are renting houses, living among criminals.
“A policy anybody should commend Mr President, it is in the budget of 2024, appropriated by the National Assembly, assented to by Mr President which is a law. What is the problem? I am only the implementor, go and implement this.
“Federal Executive Council approved the contract and everything, it is not my policy, how will you now want to kill me that I am implementing what the Federal Government approved?”
