FCT MINISTER VOWS STRICT OVERSIGHT AS 54 WASTE CONTRACTORS GET MARCHING ORDERS

By: Wisdom Acka

As a follow-up to yesterday’s award of contracts for solid waste management and cleaning in Abuja, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, held a meeting with the 54 contractors tasked with the responsibility of cleaning the nation’s capital.

In a meeting held at the Conference Hall of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) on Friday, 14th November 2025, the Minister warned the contractors that it was no longer business as usual, insisting that Abuja must be kept clean at all times.

“I decided to have this brief interaction with you to let you know the importance of waste management in the FCT. If there’s one area where we’ve had problems, it has to do with the management of waste and the sincerity of (waste management) contractors,” he said.

The Minister revealed that upon assuming office, he discovered that many contractors lacked the capacity to deliver, adding that he had to take time to put a stop to “political contractors.”

According to him, he did not know any of the new contractors selected by the FCTA Procurement Department for the waste management and cleaning job, stating that all he wanted was for them to have the capacity to keep the Territory clean at all times.

He disclosed that he would constitute a task force to monitor the exercise, ensuring strict supervision of the cleanup, compliance with regulations, and adherence to schedules.

The Minister, however, appealed to FCT residents to always pay for waste disposal services so that those responsible for waste collection and management could be compensated. He urged residents to avoid expecting free services from the government.

Wike also warned that if any contractor failed to perform, their contract would be terminated immediately, advising them against flimsy excuses such as lack of equipment or “I am fixing my equipment” at the expense of the job.

He stressed that waste management was a serious business and that failure to deliver would not be tolerated, regardless of who was involved.

“You must have a special team to remove refuse on both Saturdays and Sundays. It is not easy. Waste management is one of the most difficult jobs to undertake.”

“I want to plead with you to see this as an assignment for the development of Nigeria’s only capital.”

He advised the contractors to regularly engage with communities in their zones to identify areas needing urgent attention.

The Minister made it clear that contractors would only be paid upon delivery, reminding them that they had voluntarily applied for the job.

He also pledged to review complaints of unpaid debts owed to some of the previous contractors and take necessary action.

“So please help us keep the city clean. This is a job you applied for, nobody forced you, and now you have been given the responsibility,” he concluded.

Responding on behalf of the contractors, the Chairman of the Association of FCT Solid Waste and Cleaning Contractors (AFSOWAC), Ibrahim Babayo, thanked the Minister for the opportunity to contribute to the development and management of the nation’s capital.

Stating that there was “no room for laxity,” Babayo emphasized that keeping the Territory clean was also in their best interest, as they were part of the community.