Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has replied critics who accuse him of building houses for some Nigerian judges in Abuja, saying he is only following directives from President Bola Tinubu and implementing his policies.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), had, during a programme on Channels Television on Wednesday, accused Wike of contravening the constitution by arbitrarily building houses for judges and buying them exotic cars as a way of buying their conscience.
“There are no provisions in the law for a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to gift Federal judges who he has cases in front of, houses and cars, it goes against the financial independence of the judiciary which is enshrined in our constitution.
“If the government wishes to give houses and cars to judges, they can write the National Assembly to make provisions for it and send the funds to the National Judicial Council who are empowered to appropriate the funds as required,” Falana had said on the programme.
“There are no provisions in the law for a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to gift Federal judges who he has cases in front of, houses and cars, it goes against the financial independence of the judiciary which is enshrined in our constitution. If the government wishes… pic.twitter.com/Ma7Zd7n7XB
— SeunOkin Channels tv (@seunokin) November 14, 2024
However, while reacting to the accusations during a media chat late on Wednesday, the former Rivers State governor of Rivers State dismissed allegations that his construction of houses for judges in Abuja was a scheme to influence the judiciary for political advantage.
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He insisted that the initiative to build houses for judges is not his personal policy but a welfare policy introduced by President Tinubu as part of his measure to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, adding that the projects were captured in the 2024 national budget and that his role was to oversee its implementation.
“President Tinubu asked, ‘Where are the judges living? They have no homes, and that makes them vulnerable to political manipulation. As a president who values judicial independence, I believe judges must have their own homes,” Wike said.
“I am not the president. I am simply fortunate to serve as a minister in this administration, tasked with implementing the president’s policies. President Tinubu said, ‘This is what I want to do, so let’s find a way to make it happen.’
“This is not just a personal decision—it’s a law, part of the approved budget. What’s the issue? I am simply carrying out the directive to ensure that judges, who currently live in rented accommodation, are relocated to more secure and appropriate housing.
“The building of houses for judges is in the budget of 2024, appropriated by the National Assembly, assented to by Mr President which is a law. What is the problem? I am only the implementor, go and implement this,” he stated.
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