Renowned human rights lawyer and activist, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has launched a scathing critique of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of mismanaging infrastructure projects in Abuja to benefit political cronies.
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Speaking during an interview on PreciousEnyiTV on June 11, 2025, Odinkalu alleged that Wike is overseeing the destruction of functional roads in highbrow areas like Maitama and Wuse, only to re-award contracts at inflated costs to allies, including Senator Duda Bja.
“Go to Senator Duda’s house on Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi—he’s redone his house, repainted, raised the fence like a prison with contract money,” Odinkalu said, insinuating that Bja’s proximity to Wike guarantees a stream of lucrative deals. He contrasted these elite upgrades with the neglect of residential areas inhabited by average workers. “No development in Jabi or where workers reside—nothing has been done,” he added.
The activist further criticized Wike’s multi-billion naira projects, such as the ₦39 billion renovation of the International Conference Centre and ₦21 billion upgrade of the Vice President’s residence, questioning both their necessity and cost. “Any Nigerian who believes ₦39 billion is needed to renovate the Conference Centre needs their faculties examined,” Odinkalu remarked, noting that such funds could better serve critical sectors like education and healthcare.
He cited conditions at the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja, where patients reportedly sleep on floors due to a lack of hospital beds, as an example of misplaced priorities under Wike’s leadership. Odinkalu also derided the minister’s “excessive press briefings and billboards with old chubby pictures,” describing them as signs of “joblessness and insecurity unbecoming of a public official.”
Extending his critique to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Odinkalu decried what he called administrative excesses, citing the creation of the Ministry of Blue Economy as an unnecessary duplication of the Ministry of Water Resources. “What’s the difference? Nobody explains, not even the ministers,” he said.
The former Rivers State Governor’s track record also came under fire. Odinkalu described Wike’s flyover projects in Rumuola, Waterlines, and Garrison as “conduit pipes” designed for fund diversion, a model he alleges is now being replicated in Abuja with contracts potentially aimed at building financial war chests for the 2027 elections.
Odinkalu did not spare the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) either, blaming it for undermining the democratic process. “INEC’s bias is killing our elections,” he declared, describing the commission’s leadership as “bandits” who render the votes of Nigerians meaningless.
On the economic front, he slammed the Tinubu government for worsening poverty, saying: “Yam, tomatoes, crayfish—people can’t afford them. They claim poverty has reduced from 38% to 50%? That’s statistical nonsense. The markets tell a different story.”
Despite his sharp criticisms, Prof. Odinkalu refrained from directing citizens on next steps. “I have one vote like any Nigerian. It’s not my business to tell people what to do,” he said, but he urged Nigerians to unite around their shared suffering and demand greater accountability from those in power.
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