Lawyers and a civil society group have criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike for getting into a fight with a soldier over the destruction of a house owned by a former Chief of Naval Staff yesterday.
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), told our reporter that the open conflict was “disgraceful and unbecoming of a public office holder,” according to Daily Trust.
Remember when the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and a military officer got into a fight? The officer led some soldiers to stop the FCT demolition team from tearing down a building on land owned by a former Chief of Naval Staff in Gaduwa District of Abuja.
Retired Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo is said to hold the property on Plot 1946 in Gaduwa District. He was Chief of Naval Staff under President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
Rafsanjani argued that Wike’s actions were an abuse of power and a lack of respect for the Nigerian military institution.
“I think Wike has brought shame to public office.” As a public officer, you can’t come and act like a thug. He said, “There should be a civilized way to deal with things.”
Rafsanjani remarked that the minister’s actions were wrong and asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to tell him to stop.
“I think it’s very disrespectful for Wike to insult a Nigerian Army officer.” I don’t think the president told him to take land. We want the president to seriously warn Wike about his actions since they are hurting the minister’s reputation.
The civil society advocate argued that Wike’s actions make government look terrible and could make people lose faith in government institutions.
“This is not how to run a government. We have had a lot of ministers in Abuja, but none of them have done this. He went on to say, “You can do things in a very civilized way.”
Rafsanjani also talked about claims made by Senator Ireti Kingibe and others that Wike had been giving land to friends.
Taking people’s land that they legally bought and giving it to your cronies, as the FCT Senator and others have said, is not good for the government. So, we are asking the President to warn Wike. He remarked, “The way he does his job is not helping the government or the presidency do their job well.”
He told public officials to follow due procedure and not do things that hurt the dignity of their jobs.
“This work should be done with respect and the law. You can’t come here and perform this garagara to the point of insulting Army officials who were told to be there. He said, “They didn’t go by themselves, and they told him that.”
The lawyers who talked about the situation also said that the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, did not manage the matter appropriately, even though the development control office needs to see proof of consent before any property can be developed.
Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) argued that the situation showed that there is an issue with the way the Nigerian government works.
“One thing is for sure: the incident should have been handled better. In this case, power has won out over authority. He remarked, “It looks like we haven’t seen the end of this scary situation.”
Jibrin S. Jibrin, Esq. also indicated that what the FCT minister did was wrong, unnecessary, and could have been done in a better way.
“For instance, the law has a lot of rules about how to deal with these kinds of things. He remarked, “If the right steps had been taken to deal with the issue, it would have been resolved without the drama that surrounded the minister’s visit to the site.”
He, however, said it was obligatory for any developer of a landed property to acquire prior authorization from the relevant organizations before they commence work.
He remarked, “This means that it is against the law for an owner of a piece of land to do work without first getting the necessary approval.”
FCTA’s position
Mukhtar Galadima, the FCT Director of Development Control Department, had already said that the FCT Administration did not give out the land in question. The department also declared that the land should not be developed since it did not have building approval, among other factors.
A building approval is a document that the Development Control Department often gives to a developer to show that they can start work on a certain structure. The legislation gives the department the jurisdiction to tear down a building that is being built without the right permission, but it does not give them the power to take the land back.
Wike’s move
It was learned that the minister traveled to the site after hearing that authorities from the Department of Development Control had been stopped from demolishing the building.
Wike got out of his car and requested to be let in, saying he had come to look at a “illegal construction.”
The soldiers held their stance, and their leader said he had clear orders “from above” not to let anyone in.
Our reporter said that the mood changed at that point.
“Who told you to do that?” Wike said, “What do you want?” as he walked toward the cop.
“Shut up!” the preacher yelled, and his voice echoed over the grounds.
The young officer said, refusing to back down:
“Sir, you can’t tell me to be quiet. I am a cop on duty.
The minister shot back, “You’re an idiot!”
The soldier didn’t care and said, “I am not a fool, sir, and you have no right to call me one.”
Wike turned away in rage and left the scene, but not before talking to the reporters that were there.
He stated, “It’s really unfortunate,” and called the military’ presence “illegal.”
“You heard the officer say that he was sent by the old Chief of Naval Staff.” I don’t get how someone who used to be in such a high position can’t come to my office to work out a problem but instead sends soldiers to scare people. He added, “I won’t give in to blackmail or threats.”
He also said that he had talked to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Chief of Naval Staff, both of whom, he said, promised him that the problem would be fixed.
He said that the government will not put up with lawlessness or impunity, no matter who was involved.
“We can’t let lawlessness rule this country any longer. What about people who don’t have the military or police to keep them safe? Some people think they can use force to scare government workers when they are doing their jobs. I won’t tolerate that.
Wike said that the FCTA would keep working to stop illegal developments without fear or favor.
“Just because he used to be the Chief of Naval Staff doesn’t mean he will do this illegal development.” He said, “I won’t let that happen.”
Our correspondent tried to get a response from Retired Vice Admiral Gambo, the former Chief of Naval Staff, but he didn’t pick up the phone. He also didn’t answer a message that was delivered to him.
Wike’s time in office and land management in FCT
Our correspondent says that the most recent fight is one of the most dramatic parts of Wike’s ongoing campaign against what he calls “unauthorized land acquisitions” in the capital. Since he took office in 2023, there have been several high-profile demolitions and investigations into some property deals.
People have also said that he took land and revoked licenses without reason, but Wike and his government have disputed these claims.
Wike has also had problems with some property owners in the capital city about ground rentals.
He only fined people who broke the rules for land usage in specific parts of the city center ₦5 million on Monday.
About the Author
