The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed his pride in his culinary skills, as he stated during a recent media chat.
The former Rivers State governor revealed, “I feel proud I can cook, and I am happy when I eat it. I’m satisfied.”
Wike had recently captured the attention of internet users through viral videos showing him preparing food in his kitchen. One featured Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, while the other was with former President of the 8th Senate, Sen Bukola Saraki
During the media chat, which covered various topics related to the development of the FCT, he was asked to comment on the viral video and his cooking abilities. In response, he questioned, “What is in cooking? When I’m hungry, I should go and call the chef to prepare?”
"I feel proud that I can cook and I'm happy when I eat it. I'm satisfied," FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike reacts after videos of him cooking surfaced on the internet.#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/RuhjOIGl4X
— Channels Television (@channelstv) October 19, 2023
However, he went on to offer a personal perspective on the matter, sharing that his upbringing instilled in him a sense of responsibility in the kitchen. He explained that he was raised in a household where participating in meal preparation, including tasks like grinding pepper and pounding okra, was a shared family activity.
“Some of us were brought up in a home where, if your mother is cooking, you are meant to stay in the kitchen. You make sure they prepare the pepper, you help to pound the okra,” Wike disclosed during the event in his Abuja office.
The Minister emphasized that while some people might view cooking as a waste of time, he finds it not only interesting but also deeply satisfying. He recounted a special cooking experience when his wife returned from the United States after giving birth to their first child.
“Some people may see it as a waste of time, but for me, it’s very interesting. My wife had her first child in the United States, the day she came back with my first son, I welcomed my wife with Okro and Okazi soup,” he shared.
Wike emphasized the importance of knowing the ingredients in the food one consumes, rather than relying solely on commercially prepared meals where the quality and composition may be unknown. He also stressed that he does not compromise his principles for the sake of profit, preferring to enjoy a meal he has prepared himself.
“Not to go and eat what you don’t know the magnitude of Maggi, or you don’t know this, and then because they want to make a profit, or you want to make a profit. I don’t do that,” he added.