Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Mr Lere Olayinka, has dismissed claims that the Minister awarded N5 billion in contracts.

He described the allegation that the contracts were given to local contractors as false and without evidence.

Olayinka made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja, describing the claim as baseless and urging anyone with evidence to produce official documents showing such contract approvals.

He explained that in Dec. 2023, a bill of about N10 billion was presented to the Minister as outstanding payments for projects carried out by local contractors before Wike assumed office.

“The category of these projects was referred to as “Shopping” or “Minor Procurement.”

“In the same Dec. 2023, payment of more than N5 billion was approved by the Minister and was made immediately.

“In Jan. 2024, an additional payment of more than N5 billion was made, fully clearing the N10 billion outstanding,” Olayinka stated.

He added that three months later, another bill of more than N15 billion was submitted, again under the Minor Procurement category, prompting the Minister to question who had approved such contracts.

“How can you claim to have carried out jobs worth more than N15 billion within three months, without the Minister’s approval?

“How can you accumulate more than N15 billion debts on contracts within that period?

“From N15 billion to N8 billion and now N5 billion, the question is, on whose authority were these contracts awarded?” he queried.

Olayinka stressed that the questions must be answered, insisting that the issue lied in accountability, not speculation.

“Those are the questions they have to answer first,” he said.