{"id":15810,"date":"2023-09-06T09:21:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T08:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=15810"},"modified":"2023-09-06T09:21:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T08:21:59","slug":"false-wike-not-first-southerner-appointed-fct-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/false-wike-not-first-southerner-appointed-fct-minister\/","title":{"rendered":"False! Wike not first Southerner appointed FCT Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Claim: Multiple Facebook users address Nyesom Wike as \u201cthe first-ever southerner\u201d to be appointed as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Verdict: The claim is false. Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, from Lagos State, had previously held the position from 1976 to 1979.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Text<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Forty-five ministers<\/a> were recently sworn<\/a> in to begin work with President Bola Tinubu’s led administration. Among them is Nyesom Wike, who got a portfolio as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Wike previously served as governor of Rivers State. In 2022, he contested for the People’s Democratic Party presidential ticket but lost to Atiku Abubakar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this appointment, social media users flocked to their Facebook profiles to applaud Mr Wike, asserting he is the first individual from the southern region to be appointed to such a position. Such instances are found here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a> and here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, another Facebook user, Obiorah Momife<\/a>, made a post<\/a> that countered the circulating version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWike is not the first southerner to be a minister of Abuja. Mark Emeka Okoye was Minister of FCT in 1981,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to their rapid circulation and the significant potential for misinformation, DUBAWA opted to scrutinise these claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT)<\/a> was formed in 1976 to function as the administrative territory of Nigeria. In contrast to most Nigerian states, which have elected Governors, the Federal Capital Territory is governed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, led by a minister appointed by the president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The position of a Minister for the FCT differs from that of the Minister of State for the FCT. While the former holds a higher-ranking position and has more significant responsibilities in governing and managing the Federal Capital Territory, the latter serves in a supportive role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To set the records straight, DUBAWA first check<\/a>ed the claim that Mark Emeka Okoye was Minister of FCT in 1981 and discovered that it was inaccurate. Instead, he was Nigeria\u2019s Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory between 1981 and 1984.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We conducted a keyword search on Google, revealing a recent press release<\/a> by the State House, Abuja, titled \u201cPresident Tinubu Mourns Exit of Chief Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, First FCT Minister.\u201d This was further republished by Premium Times<\/a> newspaper, affirming that Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun was the first Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), appointed by the General Murtala Mohammed military government. He served from 1976 till 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, we found a post<\/a> by Reno Omokri<\/a> on Facebook, which explained this subject. His post could have been more accurate as he claimed that Olusegun Obasanjo, a fellow southerner, appointed the first Minister Ajose-Adeogun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Wike the first Minister of FCT from the South?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We found another Premium Times’ article<\/a> that explained the significance of Mr Wike’s appointment. Therein, it was noted that Mr Wike is the second person from Southern Nigeria to be appointed to administer the FCT since its creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, DUBAWA independently examined the list<\/a> of other ministers who have held the position after Mr Ajose-Adeogun, who was from Lagos state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is what we found:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Name of Minister <\/td>Tenure<\/td>State<\/td><\/tr>
John Jatau Kadiya<\/td>1979-1982<\/td>Plateau<\/td><\/tr>
Iro Abubakar Dan Musa<\/td>1982-1983<\/td>Katsina<\/td><\/tr>
Haliru Dantoro<\/td>1983-1983<\/td>Niger<\/td><\/tr>
Mamman Jiya Vatsa<\/td>1984-1985<\/td>Niger<\/td><\/tr>
Hamza Abdullahi<\/td>1986-1989<\/td>Kano<\/td><\/tr>
Gado Nasko<\/td>1989-1993<\/td>Niger<\/td><\/tr>
Jeremiah Timbut Useni<\/td>1993-1998<\/td>Plateau<\/td><\/tr>
Mamman Kontagora<\/td>1998-1999<\/td>Niger state<\/td><\/tr>
Ibrahim Bunu<\/td>1999-2001<\/td>Borno<\/td><\/tr>
Mohammed Abba Gana<\/td>2001-2003<\/td>Borno<\/td><\/tr>
Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai<\/td>2003-2007<\/td>Kaduna<\/td><\/tr>
Aliyu Modibbo Umar<\/td>2007-2008<\/td>Gombe<\/td><\/tr>
Muhammadu Adamu Aliero<\/td>2008-2010<\/td>Kebbi<\/td><\/tr>
Bala Mohammed<\/td>2010-2015<\/td>Bauchi<\/td><\/tr>
Mohammed Musa Bello<\/td>2015-2023<\/td>Adamawa <\/td><\/tr>
Nyeson Wike<\/td>2023-present<\/td>Rivers<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our findings invalidated the claim that Mr Wike is the first individual from the Southern region of Nigeria to be appointed Minister of FCT. Mr Ajose-Adeogun, from Lagos, had previously held this position in 1976.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Claim: Multiple Facebook users address Nyesom Wike as \u201cthe first-ever southerner\u201d to be appointed as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Verdict: The claim is false. Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, from Lagos State, had previously held the position from 1976 to 1979. Full Text Forty-five ministers were recently sworn in to begin work with President Bola Tinubu’s led administration. Among them is Nyesom Wike, who got a portfolio as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Mr Wike previously served as governor of Rivers State. In 2022, he contested for the People’s Democratic Party presidential ticket but lost to Atiku Abubakar. After this appointment, social media users flocked to their Facebook profiles to applaud Mr Wike, asserting he is the first individual from the southern region to be appointed to such a position. Such instances are found here, here, here, here, here and here.\u00a0 Conversely, another Facebook user, Obiorah Momife, made a post that countered the circulating version. \u201cWike is not the first southerner to be a minister of Abuja. Mark Emeka Okoye was Minister of FCT in 1981,\u201d he wrote. Due to their rapid circulation and the significant potential for misinformation, DUBAWA opted to scrutinise these claims. Verification The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was formed in 1976 to function as the administrative territory of Nigeria. In contrast to most Nigerian states, which have elected Governors, the Federal Capital Territory is governed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, led by a minister appointed by the president. The position of a Minister for the FCT differs from that of the Minister of State for the FCT. While the former holds a higher-ranking position and has more significant responsibilities in governing and managing the Federal Capital Territory, the latter serves in a supportive role. To set the records straight, DUBAWA first checked the claim that Mark Emeka Okoye was Minister of FCT in 1981 and discovered that it was inaccurate. Instead, he was Nigeria\u2019s Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory between 1981 and 1984. We conducted a keyword search on Google, revealing a recent press release by the State House, Abuja, titled \u201cPresident Tinubu Mourns Exit of Chief Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, First FCT Minister.\u201d This was further republished by Premium Times newspaper, affirming that Late Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun was the first Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), appointed by the General Murtala Mohammed military government. He served from 1976 till 1979. Furthermore, we found a post by Reno Omokri on Facebook, which explained this subject. His post could have been more accurate as he claimed that Olusegun Obasanjo, a fellow southerner, appointed the first Minister Ajose-Adeogun. Is Wike the first Minister of FCT from the South? We found another Premium Times’ article that explained the significance of Mr Wike’s appointment. Therein, it was noted that Mr Wike is the second person from Southern Nigeria to be appointed to administer the FCT since its creation. Likewise, DUBAWA independently examined the list of other ministers who have held the position after Mr Ajose-Adeogun, who was from Lagos state. Here is what we found: Name of Minister  Tenure State John Jatau Kadiya 1979-1982 Plateau Iro Abubakar Dan Musa 1982-1983 Katsina Haliru Dantoro 1983-1983 Niger Mamman Jiya Vatsa 1984-1985 Niger Hamza Abdullahi 1986-1989 Kano Gado Nasko 1989-1993 Niger Jeremiah Timbut Useni 1993-1998 Plateau Mamman Kontagora 1998-1999 Niger state Ibrahim Bunu 1999-2001 Borno Mohammed Abba Gana 2001-2003 Borno Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai 2003-2007 Kaduna Aliyu Modibbo Umar 2007-2008 Gombe Muhammadu Adamu Aliero 2008-2010 Kebbi Bala Mohammed 2010-2015 Bauchi Mohammed Musa Bello 2015-2023 Adamawa  Nyeson Wike 2023-present Rivers Conclusion Our findings invalidated the claim that Mr Wike is the first individual from the Southern region of Nigeria to be appointed Minister of FCT. Mr Ajose-Adeogun, from Lagos, had previously held this position in 1976.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[437,1571,3812,3815,16],"tags":[],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[3009],"class_list":["post-15810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facebook-checks","category-fact-check","category-headline","category-homepage","category-politics"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-470","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":3009,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"sunday-awosoro","display_name":"Sunday Awosoro","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/wike.jpg?fit=1080%2C570&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15810"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15812,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15810\/revisions\/15812"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=15810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}