By Our Correspondent
The Al-Ummah Forum (AUF), an association of professional Muslim Ra’iz in Nigeria, has urged President Bola Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to order to halt the damages he is causing the government and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This is contained in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu signed and issued by the Interim President of the forum, Sheikh Zakariya Idris-Abu Fadila, and made available to newsmen on Thursday.
The Interim President said the APC by the actions of Minister Wike is facing an erosion of the good work it has labored to build over the years.
The letter reads in part: “Kindly be inform Mr. President; that the entire leadership and members of AUF worldwide are completely dissatisfied, appalled, embarrassed and woefully disappointed in the manner in which the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Barr. Nyesome Wike is treating the APC Muslim umma in general and particularly individuals/Islamic monuments Abuja.
“We deem it fit to raise this alarm in order for you Mr. President, and the APC as a Party to understand the enormity of the challenge and monumental consequences facing the APC as we go forward towards 2027 General Elections and the urgent need for a quick intervention before the situation becomes irredeemable.
“When you selected His Excellency Kashim Shetima as your running mate, the opposition gave it the appellation Muslim/Muslim ticket-a derogatory nomenclature meant to whip-up negative sentiments against two Muslims running as President and Vice president.
“This forum and other progressive voices took up the gauntlet and turned the negative spin into a winning mechanism- the rest today is history.
“In your accommodating nature and openness, Mr. President, you appointed Mr. Nyesom Wike the Minister of the FCT “against all odds” with the hope that this will be one of your trademark political engineering that has become synonymous with politics of carrying all along! Alas, there is no better way to define what Mr. Wike, the FCT Minister is doing, other than sabotaging the APC, and crass abuse of power, profiling Muslims and Northerners by targeting their businesses and interests.
“While we do not doubt the good intentions and capacity of Mr. President to deliver good governance using the Muslim Muslim Ticket mechanism, that we fought for, we are disturbed that the FCT Minister’s brash leadership style and approach does not promote good governance, the sycophants around him are also not helping matters for us to get the total buy-in of the Muslim umma in savoring the dividend of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
“For it is no longer news that the FCT Minister came into Abuja with vendetta that largely affected the Muslim Umma; the controversy he generated surrounding the demolition of a section of the National Mosque in the name of renovation is still fresh in the memories of Nigerian Muslims.
“Our concern and another reason why we write to you Mr. President is; last week, April 4, 2024, the FCT Minister came for an event at ECOWAS Parliament building for the inauguration of their new session, the minister entered the registration corridor at the building and found that the place is hot because the air conditioner was not working, the Minister in anger accused the manager of not properly taking care of the building and Mr. President is expected to grace the occasion, later that same day the Minister issued a statement from his office that he has sacked ICCL and he is replacing them, he also mischievously extended his adrenaline anger and lawlessness to say he revoked the 10 years management contract of Integrated Facility Management Service Ltd ( IFMSL) which has only gone 3 years out of the 10 Years even where IFMSL are not managing the ECOWAS parliament.
“The minister didn’t care to find out the difference in the terms of contract, agreements and operational modus between the IFMSL ( that take care of the International Conference Centre ICC and not ECOWAS parliament building) before gushing out his press statement in less than 24 hours because the minister didn’t know that IFMSL are not the operators of where the place he visited and found the fault he is alluding to.
“Secondly many local and foreign companies have booked and paid in advance to use the ICC for various functions including the Nigerian Air force, the NPCL among others; what kind of image is the minister portraying? why bringing problems where there is none.
“The ICC is not dilapidated as the Minister falsely alleged; we wonder why he will openly say that the IFMSL is has been there for too long so they should go and the place shut don for “renovation’- RENOVATION IN DEED!!
“Mr. President Sir, we urge you to call the attention of Minister Wike to reverse his erroneous decision on this matter and follow due process.
“Mr. president, the APC is by the actions of Minister Wike is facing an erosion of the good work it has labored to build over the years; the continuing stay of Minister Wike will damage the good will the APC has with the largest voting block of the country and a severance of the support it has been receiving from this group and others as we glide towards 2027
“We call on you Mr. President to transfer this PDP man to another place where he will not rake havoc with immediate effect and restore our RENEWED HOPE.”
