ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has denied the news circulating on social media that his official car is a N300 million bullet-proof car.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the former Governor of Rivers State berated people on social media for spreading falsehoods about the nature of his official car.
He said: “I have never approved any car contrary to the report, and I am not using an official bullet-proof car.”
The FCT minister expressed his disappointment over the spread of unverifiable information that he believes could cause damage.
During his address to the press, he said: “You can see what is going on social media, like how I bought a bulletproof car of N300 million that I am using.”
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Pointing to a car around, he asked reporters to hit their hands on a car believed to be his official car.
“I want you people to go and hit your hand there and see whether it is a treated car,” he said.
Wike urged the media to refrain from reporting things that are not true.
He continued: “With all due respect, people should be careful not to destroy other people. When I came, the permanent secretary said they had a car for us and that the car we would use is this.
“When I have cars as governor—yes—what do you expect? I am not using a bulletproof car as an FCT minister.
“So we should report the right thing and not destroy ourselves. I want you to take a look at that car and tell me whether it is a bulletproof car.”
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Earlier on Wednesday, social media was abuzz with a supposed picture of an alleged bullet-proof car belonging to Wike.
It was said that the car was valued at N300 million.
Since his appointment as the FCT minister, the former Governor, known for his giant strides in infrastructure development, has been generating so much media attention.
The reasons are not far from his planned demolition of squatter settlements in the capital city and other major plans he hopes will restore the city’s original master plan.
A master plan, he believes, has been abandoned since Nasir El-Rufai left as the FCT minister.
Wike specifically said that 6,000 houses may be demolished as a way to make way for the restoration of the Abuja master plan.
He also emphasized that those in the business of land speculation will likely lose their undeveloped lands, urging them to start developing them or stand the risk of losing them to the government.