Each day, each major burning issue, raising tension in the polity! Each time, it is hot potato! Otherwise, how do we place the unfortunate public spat between the Minister of Federal Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and a young Naval Officer, Lt. A. M. Yerima? Alarmed high ranking retired officers of the military establishment rally round Yerima! Chief of Defence Staff, General Oluyede, giving him kudos for his conduct, said, “The Nigerian Defence Academy does not produce docile officers. The officer’s response reflects admirable composure and emotional intelligence-qualities that lie at the heart of military leadership training. His ability to remain calm, firm, and respectful under verbal provocation demonstrates discipline and professionalism.

“Nevertheless, it is both unfortunate and inappropriate for a federal minister to use such language towards a serving officer of the Armed Forces. Public officials should model civility and restraint, especially when addressing those in uniform who embody national service and sacrifice.

“Notwithstanding, the case is subject to my security.” The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, is reported to have said, “We will always protect our officer. He has done well. We won’t allow anything happen to him.”

This kind of encounter cannot go without attracting comments from well-meaning members of the public, some full-length and a few adumbrated. A public statement has reached my hands said to have been issued by a group of well-meaning Nigerians. I am interested in the import of the statements coming from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Oluyede, and a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, on the heels of a stand-off between the Minister of FCT, Mr.Nyesom Wike and Lt. Yerima.

General Buratai is unsparing in his remarks, describing Wike’s conduct as reckless endangerment of national order that transcends mere misconduct of political theatrics, but it also “deliberately undermines the chain of command, disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and grievously wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag.

Such actions erode the very foundation of discipline upon which our national security apparatus stands…It represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity.” This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority.” Palpably concerned and, indeed, enraged, General Buratai says the action amounted to bashing the integrity of the Armed Forces and violation of the honour of the specific officer, that is, Naval Lt. Yerima. He says Wike’s outburst is an assault and being one on a military officer in uniform it is an act of profound indiscipline that “strikes at the core of Nigerian command and control structure.” He pointed out that such confrontations with uniformed officers could have far-reaching implications for discipline within the Armed Forces.

The tense situation amidst controversy over U.S. President Trump’s voiced reading of genocidal killings in our land requires careful handling with wisdom. We may wish to have some background to the ugly encounter between Minister Wike and the young officer, Naval Lt. Yerima. It is over land belonging to retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo. The FCT Administration under Wike said the land the retired Naval chief is developing has no title document and approval.

Throwing light on the history of the land, the spokesman to the Minister, Lere Olayinka, said far back in 2007, the large parcel of land was allocated to a company called Santos Estate Limited for Parks and Recreation. According to Olayinka, the area is a road corridor. The original buyer changed his mind and applied the then minster in 2022 to convert the land meant for parks and recreation to commercial. In anticipation of an approval by the then minister, the proprietor of the proposed parks began to partition the land for sale. It was one of the parcels arising from the partitioning that Vice-Admiral Gambo bought.

As it turned out, approval for conversion was not granted by the previous minister. Gambo started developing his property. The FCT officers went there to ask that the work be stopped. In view of demolitions of houses going on in the federal capital of Abuja, the retired Naval chief, sought to protect what he had bought, probably unaware that the sale was illegal as the land area is not for residential development. Vice-Admiral Gambo sent military men there, led by Lt. Yerima. They did not allow FCT officers access to the land. The minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike as he is wont to, then decided to take on the task himself. He was denied access by the military men on guard at the place and the confrontation ensued.

Wike was wrong. All he needed do was on discovering that the land belongs to a retired officer of that level, was to give Vice-Admiral Gambo a call and explain to him that the area is not meant for residential houses, and that, in fact, he may have been scammed, employing Olayinka’s own words. Do you add to the wound of a person’s soul or help to heal it? He would also have, out of empathy, offered the Vice-Admiral alterative places to make a choice so he could allocate his choice to him. That would have been a display of sensitivity and decency for which the Vice-Admiral would have been grateful and deeply appreciative.

Does the minister know for how long it has taken the officer to save what he has decided to pour into the project? Yes, Gambo needed to obtain approval; he could have thought he would regularise all that later, given all the foot-dragging in these matters in some of Nigerian public offices. If he did not want to do that, the other option was to take the former naval chief to court so the court could pronounce the development illegal and it should be halted.

Following is the encounter between the Hon. Minister, Mr. Wike and Naval Officer, Naval Lt. Yerima posted to this column from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka:

Minister: Shut up
Naval officer: I will not shut up
Minister: You are a fool
Naval officer: I am not a fool
Minister: Keep quiet
Naval officer: I will not keep quiet
Minister: You are grabbing land:
Naval officer: I have integrity. I am working on orders.
Minister; By the time I graduated, you were in primary school
Naval officer: But you cannot shut me up
Minister: You cannot develop this property
Naval officer: I am working on orders
Minister: Who gave you the orders?
Naval officer: A Three-Star General

This encounter should not have arisen at all. It is distasteful. It is appalling. Mr. Nyesom Wike is one of President Bola Tinubu’s most visible, very effective, committed and most hardworking ministers. He has brought to his assignment uncommon application to work. There are proven pieces of evidence that he delivers. He will certainly bring enheartening transformation to the face of Abuja, by the time his time is up, presumably beyond 2027. He has the drive. However, he can do with more refinement and decorum in the discharge of his assigned duties and give respect to whom respect is due. Bullying and intimidation should have no place in public service, especially at the level of a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He will certainly achieve more with polish. Refinement disarms, it does not harm firmness.