TheCable

Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the federal capital territory (FCT), says Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister, has refused to respond to her letters and messages in the wake of the rising insecurity in the nation’s capital.

Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Kingibe said there is a “big disconnect” between the FCT minister and elected officials of the capital territory.

Over the past weeks, Abuja has been experiencing a spate of abductions by gunmen.

On January 5, a family of seven, including six sisters and their father, was abducted at Zuma 1 in the Bwari area of Abuja.

Reacting to the spate of insecurity in the capital, Kingibe said Wike is new to the FCT and that there is a need for him to work with the elected lawmakers who understand the terrain better.

“Part of the problem we are having is that there is a big disconnect between the FCT minister and elected officials — myself and the members of the house of representatives,” she said.

“The truth is that the minister is new to the territory. We are the ones who have historical knowledge of the area. It is imperative that we work together.”

Asked if the FCT minister listens to her as a senator, Kingibe said she has reached out to Wike on numerous occasions and that he never responds.

“I have never met with the minister except when he came for appropriation. I have reached out to him several times. The minister, for some reason, thinks Senator Aduda is still the Senator of the FCT. Unfortunately, that’s not the case,” she said.

“I have sent WhatsApp messages and written one or two letters to him. I didn’t get any response.

“When the senate resumes, I plan that the senate FCT committee, specifically me, needs to sit with the two ministers and the security agencies for them to give us their plans concerning security.

“It is not that I am hoping. I know he will be summoned. But whether he responds or not is a different matter entirely. But as the chief security officer of the FCT, he should have a plan.

“He should be able to tell us, the committee, and specifically me, that this is the plan for protecting the people of the FCT. Between him, the police commissioner, and the head of the DSS, they must have a plan.”

‘I RAISED ALARM EARLIER’

Speaking further, the FCT senator said some months ago, she informed security operatives about the insecurity in some parts of the FCT, but she was told it was an exaggeration.

“But the truth is that a little bit earlier, I tried to draw their (referring to security agencies) attention, and I was told that it was exaggerated, and I said it couldn’t be because what I’m telling them, I did not get from social media,” Kingibe added.

“I got it from my constituents. But I’m glad that everybody now seems to be on the same page.

“They’re trying to take it all seriously, but a lot more needs to be done. Catching the kidnappers is just the symptom. We need to get to the root cause of what is causing all of this insecurity.”