The newly appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, made an entrance to his role in a high-value sports utility vehicle (SUV) bearing the license plate ‘FCT 01’.
Social media is abuzz with a video showcasing Wike’s impressive convoy on his inaugural day, along with widely circulated images of his distinctive vehicle.
Wike arrived at the FCTA around 1:20 pm on Tuesday in an armoured Lexus LX 600 SUV with the plate number ‘FCT – 01’.
The starting price of the vehicle is placed at $100,115 on the maker’s website.
Reacting to reports that he bought the SUV for N300 million, Wike said on Wednesday after his tour of the Abuja Light Rail, “We are now going to the office to have a direct report from each of the departments, but I have seen what is going on in the social media; how you (FCTA Permanent Secretary) bought a bulletproof car of N300m that I am using.
“So, I want you people to go hit your hand there (on the car) and see whether it is a treated car. With all due respect, people should be careful not to destroy other people.
“When I came, the Permanent Secretary said they have a car for us, and the car we use is this. I have never approved any car to be bought and I have not used an official bulletproof car. Whether I have cars as governor? Yes, as a governor, what do you expect I should have? But, I am not using bulletproof car as FCT minister, so we should report the right thing, and not destroy ourselves. I want you to take a look at where you have the flag, and see whether it is a bulletproof car.”
At his first press conference on Monday, Wike reprimanded those “distorting the master plan of Abuja.”
The former Rivers State governor emphasised that, notwithstanding anyone’s status, those who have developed buildings on unauthorised locations wil have their licences revoked, stating that “the green areas must come back.”
He said, “People who are distorting the masterplan of Abuja… too bad.
“If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down. Be it a minister of anywhere, be it an ambassador… if you know you have developed where you are not supposed to, your house will go down.”
