FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja-
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has lamented that wealthy residents in Abuja are reluctant to pay taxes, despite benefiting from the territory’s infrastructure.
Wike made the remarks during the inauguration of the newly constructed Collector Road CN2 in Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking at the event, Wike said, “Big men living in the FCT do not like paying taxes. Yet, they voluntarily pay taxes and ground rent in foreign countries like London and the US.”
He expressed dismay at the attitude of the wealthy residents, emphasizing that taxes and ground rents paid by responsible residents were used to execute infrastructure projects like the CN2 road.
Wike stressed the importance of tax compliance, saying, “If you don’t pay, nobody will provide this infrastructure because the only thing the city has is just to collect taxes.”
He noted that the FCT’s 1% allocation from the Federation Account is insufficient to fund infrastructure projects, adding, “We can’t depend on just N8 billion to pay salaries, let alone carry out infrastructure development.”
The minister urged President Bola Tinubu to encourage FCT residents to pay their taxes, enabling the administration to deliver more infrastructure.
“We need people to pay their taxes so that we will carry out development in the interest of our people,” Wike said.
Wike also warned that names of defaulters would be published in newspapers, saying, “If you know you have land here and you have not paid, I will publish your name that you have not paid.
“It has nothing to do with embarrassing you, but we need money to do the work that we are doing.”
He emphasized that wealthy residents, particularly those building houses in areas like Katampe and Mabushi, must pay their taxes.
“No poor man can do these houses. No poor man. These houses are being built by rich men. So, you have to pay so we can carry out the job of delivering critical infrastructure,” Wike added.
The event was attended by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who represented President Tinubu.
