Because he once called himself a madman, many will think his madness has resurfaced again. I mean Nyesom Wike, the mad FCT Minister. He has declared war against beggars in his newly found kingdom, Abuja. I disagree with those who think Wike’s declared war against Abuja’s beggars is due to his madness. I disagree with them; they are unpatriotic people who do not like Wike and his face.
I may agree that the war Wike declares against the poor Abuja’s beggars is a resurgence of his madness only if we can boldly call all former FCT ministers (since Nigeria’s transition to democracy in 1999) mad people. I cannot recall any FCT minister, perhaps with the exception of Ibrahim Bum (1999-2001), who did not make a declaration of war against beggars in Abuja. Although some of them did not call it war, as they were not uncouth, but what they did or tried to do was declaration of war in other words and by other means.
The enthusiasm displayed, the efforts exerted, and the energies dissipated by Nigerian rulers to make Abuja beautiful and liveable, is, in my opinion, proportional to what they display to make Nigeria ugly and unlivable. Nigeria is not their project, Abuja is. According to Mohammed Abba Gana, FCT Minister (2001-2003), “Nigeria’s capital city is God’s own capital city.” One wonders if other states in Nigeria are devil’s own. Although I am very sure that that was not what Gana had in mind as he further called for six more of the type of Abuja across the country. That is to say, incrementally, other states of the federation should be made to look like Abuja.
So Wike’s war declaration against beggars, be it real or a threat, is not new. Nasir El-Rufai (2003-2007), Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar (2007-2008), Muhammad Adamu Aliero (2008-2010), Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (2010-2015), Muhammad Bello (2023), all ejected beggars from Abuja or threatened to do so.
However, the eccentric Wike took many by surprise. As the FCT workaholic Minister, he did not declare war against bandits, kidnappers, and those miscreants that are making Abuja unsafe. His avowed enemies, whose sight he cannot tolerate, are the beggars. Wike’s fear is, under his watch, Abuja is transforming—at an alarming rate—to beggars’ city. Listen to him: “Let me state clearly that we have declared war; Abuja is turning into a beggar city.”
No one should underestimate Wike’s power. It is common knowledge that mad people are possessed by some powerful spirits which makes them difficult to tame. Just as powerful Wike midwives the yet to be abated crisis (or is it war?) in his state of origin (Rivers State), waging war against beggars in Abuja who are most likely not his people from Rivers should not be seen as an empty threat. In a clear term, Wike commands: “If you know you have a sister or brother who is a beggar, please, from next week, we’ll carry them. We’ll take them out. It is embarrassing that people will come in and the first thing they’ll see are just beggars on the road.”
I advise northerners whose regions had just been thrown into darkness as a result of embarrassing grid collapse—before Wike’s war declaration—to quickly call back their people who are beggars in Abuja. They should hurry up before Wike carries them, packs them, and throws them away like filth.
But Wike has got a long war to fight in Abuja. As we say in street language, im go fight tire. I can inform Wike that the more he “packs,” “carries,” and “loads” beggars from the streets of Abuja into lorries or trailers, the more the Federal Capital will experience deluge of beggars. Some few businesses that stubbornly refuse to die in Nigeria, and in the North to be specific, are now racing to collapse with the recent grid collapse which throws the northern region into darkness. Literally, darkness has eclipsed the North.
By implication, businesses in the North are eclipsed. Because Abuja, though Nigeria’s capital, is located in the North, it is logical to conclude that Abuja will be receiving more beggars as guests. Yes, they may be unwanted guests by Wike, they are Nigerian citizens who should be defended to express their constitutional right to reside anywhere in Nigeria.
Wike might not know the implication of his statement. He said: “I’m giving you a public holiday from now until Sunday. From Monday, we will pack them out.” Packing beggars out of Abuja, to use his words, is indeed giving them a holiday. Unless government addresses the root cause of begging, beggars will always resume work after holiday. It is a matter of time.
Is Wike not aware of T-Pain? Let someone tell Wike that Nigerians have been compelled to take an overdose of T-Pain. One of its consequences is the sight of beggars, not only in Abuja streets but in every Nigerian street. Even the government is a beggar who seems not to be tired of begging. Not ashamed of its mounting debts that have literally enslaved it to some world powers, Nigeria continues to beg for more loans.
If it is not criminal for Nigeria to beg for loan, it should not be criminalizing for Nigerians to beg for food. This is not to say begging should be condoned for beggars. It is to emphasize the need for the government to create economic environment that is so viable and promising as to discourage begging.
But something still keeps me worried. Why do Nigerian rulers like window dressing? Why do they place premium on optics but downplay substance. What is embarrassing to Wike is not the growing number of beggars in Nigeria. Let beggars continue to increase geometrically, Wike and his fellow Nigerian rulers would probably not be perturbed. That is okay; provided they (beggars) are not visible in Abuja such that they are seen firstly by people (foreigners) who visit Abuja.
Dear Honourable Nyesom Wike, recall that I defended your appointment as FCT Minister when some people behaved as if the position is the birthright of northerners. You may want to have a good record as the first minister of FCT from the South.
Here is my advice: rather than forklifting these innocent and choiceless beggars out of Abuja, treat them like economic refugees that should be supported. It is T-Pain that takes a toll on their economic life and existence. Since the government you serve is incapable of creating jobs for these hardworking-turned-begging Nigerians, economic refugee camps should be created for them while government takes care of their basic needs until they can afford to politely earn a living.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
