A member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Bob, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, over comments suggesting that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been “adequately compensated” by the current administration.
Bob described Bwala as “an insignificant and attention-seeking operator, punching above his weight,” and accused him of pushing a “malicious narrative distortion.”
The lawmaker, who represents Abua/Odual/Ahoada East Federal Constituency of Rivers State, was reacting to remarks made by Bwala during a television programme on Friday, where the presidential aide also implied that Wike was frustrating the ability of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to govern effectively.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt and made available to journalists in Abuja, Bob, a known political ally of Wike, said Bwala’s comments were “cheeky, unwarranted and stemmed from premeditated bile.”
According to Bob, Bwala deliberately sidestepped questions during the programme to suggest that Wike had been “adequately compensated,” a remark he said reflected a poor understanding of public service.
“He doesn’t understand the minister’s contribution to this administration. Sadly, he leaves the impression that he sees public office as a gravy train, whereas public office is about service delivery, not compensation,” Bob said.
The lawmaker also faulted Bwala for downplaying Wike’s performance in the FCT by attributing it merely to the FCT Administration’s exit from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
Bob argued that the decision to exit the TSA was initiated by Wike himself and approved by President Tinubu due to confidence in the minister’s capacity to deliver.
“Exiting the TSA was the minister’s ingenious idea. The president’s acceptance underlines his confidence in the minister’s ability to deliver, a confidence rooted in his strong record as Rivers State governor,” he said, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari had also acknowledged Wike’s performance despite political differences.
Bob further accused Bwala of poor judgment for suggesting that Wike was interfering in the administration of Governor Fubara.
“He betrayed an absolute lack of judgment by implying that the minister is impeding the governor from governing. That manner of comment reflects implication framing from a confused individual who ventures into matters beyond his competence and job description,” he stated.
The lawmaker also criticised Bwala for projecting personal opinions as official positions of the presidency, stressing that the aide does not speak on behalf of President Tinubu.
“Mr Bwala does not speak for the president. That is not his remit, and he is far down the pecking order of presidential spokesmen. The president knows who bears responsibility for the situation in Rivers State,” Bob said.
Bob further suggested that Bwala’s comments may have been influenced by lingering resentment over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, noting that Bwala had previously served as a spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Obviously, he is still burdened by a sense of what might have been, despite returning to serve in a government made possible by people like the minister,” Bob added.
He urged the presidential aide to focus on his official duties, saying Bwala lacked the capacity to effectively function in his current role.
“Despite his pretensions, he does not convince many people that he has the ingredients to function in that capacity,” Bob said.
