By Omeiza Ajayi

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday, declared that Nigeria was practically dead before the advent of the President Bola Tinubu administration, conceding that even though there are serious issues currently afflicting the nation, the president has taken some difficult decisions that would enable the country to pull through.

This was as he advised the Christian faithful against making mistakes in the choice of the country’s president in 2027, saying the church nearly made a fatal error in 2023 due to some sentimental attachments.

Wike gave the charge at the Saint James’ Anglican Church in Asokoro, Abuja, where he had led some associates in thanksgiving to God over the successful commissioning of 16 projects across the nation’s capital.

He said, “The country was dead. It would take hard decisions to be made. We are aware that we have challenges. Two years of a country that was run down and we expect a miracle worker? It is not prayer where you would say, somebody is sick, in the name of God, I heal you. It doesn’t work that way.

“Let me use this opportunity to tell you, particularly the church, they nearly made the worst mistake in 2023. We have to be very careful this time around. It would have been a decision that would have cost some of us our future.

“Ask us questions. We are the politicians. You have to be careful of what we tell you. If nothing had happened, some of us would not be here today. So, if you want us to educate you, call us to ask, ‘What’s going on?’ Don’t allow people with propaganda to blackmail you.

“Now, see what happened, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, you know, there were some people who were running it. They were paying the government N50 million every year, and these are the people who want to rescue Nigeria.

“When we went there, Mr President said this is an eyesore. He said this is not the quality, this is not the Nigeria we should present. We shut the place down, and within six or seven months, we have rehabilitated the International Conference Centre. But the shocking thing is that the man who was running from Adamawa was paying N50 million to the government in a year. However, just three weeks after the renovation and continuous activities, we have generated over N700 million. They were paying N50 million into the government’s coffers each year, but in three weeks, we have made N700 million. The same people will come and tell you that they want to rescue Nigeria. That is the kind of thing they want. When you say no, we will not allow that, they paint you all kinds of pictures and tell you stories.

“People had the opportunity to be in government for several years, eight years, 20 years. People had the opportunity to bring facilities and infrastructure to their states, but they didn’t do it. That time, Nigerians were not angry. It is only now that Nigerians are angry, now that they are not in office.

“If I say, we want to rescue Nigeria, what you should ask me is, when you had the opportunity, what happened? If you ask me today, what happened when I was governor of Rivers State? I am able to say yes, I did this, I did that and today, in FCT, I am able to do this and that.

“We were here when people were bombing trains going to Kaduna. Was it under the administration of Bola Tinubu that the trains were bombed? That time, they did not rescue Nigeria.

“We were here, the scam of oil subsidy, was Tinubu the president then? And somebody has come to say this scam, enough is enough. We can’t continue. Few people making money out of Nigeria. Today, look at the allocation of fund that is going to states. I was a governor, I never had more than N14 billion a month, but today, some states are getting over N50 billion every month”.

Noting that a lot still has to be done in terms of service to the people, the FCT minister begged the church to be patient and continue to hold the president in prayers.

“All I plead to the church, is just to be patient and continue to pray for Mr President, for the administration. Forget about people who have lost their chances to put Nigeria right. They won’t have the chance again”, he said.

Vanguard News