The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, speaking with newsmen at the Port Harcourt International Airport on his way to Lagos, addressed the ongoing national uproar following the public altercation between the Hon. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, and a junior Naval Officer, now identified as Lt. A. M. Yerima, said to have been acting on instructions, over a property currently under investigation by the FCT authorities.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Ambassador Igali expressed serious concern over what he described as the growing social media glorification of the “grossly improper conduct” of the junior Naval Officer, who was allegedly acting on the orders of a retired Service Chief. He noted that such a senior retired officer ought to know that the Honourable Minister deserves full respect as a member of the Federal Executive Council and a direct representative of the President on all matters concerning the Federal Capital Territory.
“Chief Wike, CON, without doubt one of the best performing Ministers in this administration, deserves to be treated with far more respect and decorum,” the former Federal Permanent Secretary and diplomat lamented.
Ambassador Igali further emphasised that the unacceptable behaviour of the junior officer was not merely an affront to the FCT Minister personally, but a direct show of disrespect to the office of the President, whose authority is vested in the FCT Minister. He described the incident as a public ridicule of presidential powers and a national embarrassment.
The South-South geopolitical zone leader insisted that the Minister of the FCT deserves an unconditional apology from the leadership of the Nigerian Navy—both on behalf of its former Chief and the hapless young officer involved in what he called a “horrible spectacle,” which he said falls outside the military’s core mandate of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity. He condemned the use of junior military personnel for illegal tasks such as guarding unoccupied personal property, stressing that such misuse of authority must not be tolerated, regardless of the self-restraint shown by the officer.
Ambassador Igali also called on the President to direct all relevant security and law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure that all those involved are held accountable. This, he noted, is necessary to preserve professionalism within the military and uphold respect for constituted civil authority—an essential foundation for building a stable and robust democracy governed by the rule of law.
Furthermore, he stressed that the person of the FCT Minister must be fully protected from such acts of overzealousness as he continues to carry out his assigned responsibilities with passion and dedication.
Kindly share
