You Don’t Have Money to Buy Fish, Meat, Stockfish; When Cooking Soup it Will Look Like Water-Wike

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), formally assigned the responsibility of hastening Abuja’s infrastructure revolution to on Monday, October 6, 2025. the residents of the city’s shoulders, connecting the caliber of ongoing development to their adherence to tax payments. 

The minister spoke at the flag off of the building of the Mohammed Isa Road Extension in the Asokoro District, and he made it clear that, despite the fact that his government is dedicated to affecting every industry, from transportation and roads to sports and education; however, the timing and quality of delivery are contingent upon the availability of funds.

Wike compared high-quality infrastructure to a rich soup in his analogy, which was captured in a video clip released by his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka. 

In order to make a genuinely tasty soup that appeals to everyone, he said that it costs money to acquire high-quality ingredients, such as the fish, meat, and large stockfish. 

Without those resources, the soup will be thin, unappealing, and look like plain water, he claimed. 

Pay us what you owe us if you want us to act, said Wike. This soup has a sweet flavor, but money destroys it. When preparing soup, if you don’t have the funds to purchase the different ingredients, such as fish, meat, and big stockfish, it will seem like simple water. However, even if you are not hungry, you will be compelled to be hungry if you have the funds for all of these items since the soup will cause you to be hungry. entices you even if you’ve eaten it ten times. 

He said clearly that the FCT Administration needs residents to be patient and give projects time to complete, but most importantly, pay what they owe in order to guarantee the availability of funds. 

This was an obvious allusion to the considerable arrears of ground rents and other legal obligations. 

The Minister’s appeal for on-time payment is supported by his firm stand on revenue generation.

He has maintained that the FCTA is unable to fund the ongoing massive capital projects because ground rents are not being paid. 

His commitment to enforcing compliance has been shown via his actions, not simply his words. 

In a widely publicized action, he even singled out the unpaid debts of real estate owned by his own political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in by attempting to force the payment of ground rents, he sent a clear signal that when it comes to supporting the capital city's growth, no one is above the law. 

The key factor that will maintain the rate of change and guarantee Abuja will become a major city is viewed as his administration's unrelenting pursuit of income. before the end of the current term, the world's largest city.