Nigeria’s recently inaugurated Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has asserted that contrary to widespread reports, he did not buy a ₦300m Armoured Lexus car on assumption of office.
Wike, who made this known on Wednesday after his tour of the Abuja Light Rail, denied social media reports and even went on to challenge reporters to touch his car to confirm whether it was a bulletproof car or not.
The ex-governor of Rivers State said he has not had a meeting with officials of the FCT Administration let alone approve a car for himself.
He said, ‘We are now going to the office to have a direct report from each of the departments, but I have seen what is going on in the social media; how you (FCTA Permanent Secretary) bought a bulletproof car of ₦300m that I am using.
‘So, I want you people to go hit your hand there (on the car) and see whether it is a treated car. With all due respect, people should be careful not to destroy other people.’
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‘When I came, the Permanent Secretary said they have a car for us, and the car we use is this. I have never approved any car to be bought and I have not used an official bulletproof car.
‘Whether I have cars as governor? Yes, as a governor, what do you expect I should have what? But, I am not using bulletproof car as FCT minister, so we should report the right thing, and not destroy ourselves.
‘I want you to take a look at where you have the flag, and see whether it is a bulletproof car.’
Meanwhile, angered by the growing level of squalor and haphazard transportation system in the nation’s capital, Abuja, Wike, had on Tuesday charged top officials of the administration to either sit up or seek redeployment elsewhere.
In particular, he gave the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) director an order to clean up the city, threatening to pursue the matter to the point of raising his blood pressure.