The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on Nigerians to move away from the politics of entitlement, ethnic grievances and sectional interests, urging leaders and citizens to prioritise responsibility, effective governance and service delivery.
Wike made the call on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at his induction into the First Idoma Hall of Fame. Speaking on the theme, “People, Politics and Power Play in Nigeria: The Agitation for Equity and Fairness,” the minister said equity should guarantee equal opportunities for all Nigerians rather than serve as a tool for sharing political power and public appointments along ethnic lines.
He argued that representation alone was insufficient to guarantee fairness, stressing that replacing one group of beneficiaries with another without changing how power was exercised would only redistribute privilege.
According to him, Nigerians must defend justice even when it does not favour their communities, warning that demanding fairness only when personally disadvantaged amounts to self-interest rather than a genuine commitment to equity.
The minister challenged political leaders to shift from asking when their communities would gain power to considering what they would do with it to improve people’s lives.
He said the focus should be on expanding national prosperity and ensuring its fair distribution, rather than merely changing the identities of those occupying positions of authority.
Defending the current administration’s approach to governance, Wike urged Nigerians to assess leaders based on tangible infrastructure development and service delivery rather than political rhetoric.
He cited ongoing transformation in Abuja’s city centre and satellite towns, while calling on citizens to hold state governors and local government leaders accountable, given the financial allocations available to subnational governments.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Idoma Hall of Fame Central Planning Committee, Paul Harris Ogbole (SAN), said the initiative was established to document and preserve the achievements of outstanding Idoma indigenes, while recognising non-Idoma individuals who had made significant contributions to the community.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board, Morgan Okwoche, described the organisation as an independent non-governmental organisation dedicated to celebrating excellence and inspiring future generations.
The convener, Agaba Ikwue, announced plans to establish physical and digital museums dedicated to Idoma history, culture and achievements, lamenting that many notable contributions remained undocumented.
The event also featured the unveiling and launch of the Idoma Hall of Fame compendium by renowned cleric Pastor Paul Enenche and his wife, Becky Enenche, while the Andoma of Doma, Aliyu Oga Onawo, commended Wike for his infrastructure projects in Abuja.
