Wike puts smiles on faces of FCT monarchs with land titles, fee waivers, vehicle promise

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Friday brought relief and excitement to traditional rulers in Abuja as he presented them with land allocation documents, waived statutory fees, and pledged the provision of official vehicles.

The gesture, widely seen as a major boost for indigenous authorities in the Federal Capital Territory, drew appreciation from members of the FCT Council of Chiefs, many of whom described the development as long overdue.

Speaking during a meeting with the monarchs, Wike announced that all statutory fees attached to the land titles had been waived on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, a move that elicited visible excitement among the traditional rulers.

“We cannot deny the fact that there are indigenous people who were here before the creation of the FCT,” Wike said. “The president said we must extend a hand of fellowship to you. If those who make peace cannot be appreciated with land, who should be?”

The minister stressed that although the legal structure of the FCT does not fully recognise ancestral ownership, the current administration is making deliberate efforts to acknowledge and support indigenous communities.

Beyond the land titles, Wike further lifted the spirits of the monarchs by promising to provide them with utility vehicles to aid their duties, particularly in maintaining peace and security across their domains.

He also commended the traditional rulers for their role in ensuring what he described as the most peaceful Area Council elections in the history of the territory.

Highlighting ongoing development efforts, Wike listed several infrastructure projects nearing completion across satellite towns, including the Airport–Kuje road dualisation, the Bwari–Zuba link road, Apo–Karshi and Basan Jiwa projects, as well as the “Arab Road” network, all slated for commissioning in June 2026.

The Chairman of the Council and Ona of Abaji, Adamu Yunusa, expressed gratitude to both Tinubu and Wike, noting that the intervention had brought joy to traditional institutions. He also pledged continued support for the administration’s policies.

For many of the monarchs, the combination of land ownership recognition, financial relief, and promises of logistical support marked a significant moment—one that quite literally put smiles on their faces and strengthened their ties with the government.