A senior advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu, SAN, has knocked the military authority and the naval officer, Lieutenant Ahmed Yerima, who was involved in altercation with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, a few days ago.
The shouting match reportedly occurred at Gaduwa Area of Abuja during one of the ministers’ inspections.
While revisiting the issue at the 7th Annual Rule of Law Development Foundation Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja on Monday, a senior advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu made a case for the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr Nyesom Wike, saying the minister was merely exercising his powers to inspect and ascertain the real situation of things under the powers vested in him by section 11 of the Land Use Act.
The learned silk while condemning the obstruction by the officer, who claimed that he was acting on orders from his superior officer, who it is being speculated, is a retired Chief of Naval Staff.
Daudu, while castigating him, further noted that the said officer was trained and commissioned into the Nigerian Military with taxpayers’ money adding: “His first duty and allegiance are to the government and the people of Nigeria,”
“From available video evidence, a stand-off or shouting match took place where the Minister out of exasperation deployed expletives, which some commentators contend were excessive for such an occasion.
“Flowing from the forgoing, the Nigerian media space has been inundated with shouts and demands for the head of the Honourable Minister, who should, in my view, be commended instead of being vilified.
” Please find herebelow my reasons for this position.The junior military officer who boastfully obstructed a Federal Minister in the course of performing his duties was trained and commissioned into the Nigerian Military with taxpayers’ money.
“His first duty and allegiance are to the government and the people of Nigeria. The Minister represents the Government and People of Nigeria in the discharge of his duties.
“Our awardee, in his capacity as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja having received reports from his subordinate Directors in the Development Control Department of the FCTA that illegal construction work was ongoing unabated in an area not designated as ‘residential’ but as ‘Parks and Gardens’ and in the absence of any approval of change of user for the land or even as we are told building approval, proceeded to the ‘locus in quo’ with his entourage.
“Who was the said uniformed officer representing? By his own ipse dixit (self-declaration) on trending internet videos, he admitted (claimed) that he was acting on superior orders. Upon further investigation, It turned out that he was acting as a security man over the premises being claimed by the retired military officer as his own. He was not on a bona fide, legitimate military duty. If these facts are correct, it is then clear that his presence on the land was illegal, it would have been otherwise, though still not justifiable, if the property was military property and he was acting under bona fide the orders of the military echelon to secure their property for security reasons. But to date, the military have not claimed the property as their own, which would have warranted a legitimate stand-off. Then all and sundry would have packed themselves off to the Commander in Chief for the matter to be settled internally.
“However, the property being civilian owned property (not military zone) was effectively within Minister Wike’s undoubted jurisdiction to deal with. It was therefore clear that the said junior officer clearly obstructed a high official of the federal government from discharging his lawful duties.If the matter had been left at that, the following observations would not have been necessary.
“Firstly, the entire military hierarchy, retired and serving, ranged their support on the side of the young officer. That is not surprising given the penchant of the Nigerian military to be intolerant with or to the civilian population.
” It is only in Nigeria that a simple altercation between a military personnel and a civilian or a staff of another security outfit like the Police that the military will unleash jungle justice on the hapless civil Examples abound such as the 1978 Kalakuta Republic military overkill, the Abiola‘s ‘mad dog’ incidence, the sacking of General Malu’s village in Benue State and the recent sacking of a whole village in Delta State and account of alleged killing of military officers and many more such overbearing incidents.
” The reason for pointing to this disposition of the military is not to denigrate that institution, it is to underscore the anomaly in the taking of laws into their hands whenever they are irritated by actions of third parties who are not one of them. This undue advantage and predisposition to civilian molestation is because the generality of the people is not allowed to bear arms. A converse situation will provide mutual deterrence.
“The consequence of this imbroglio is the spewing and unleashing of raw and undiluted hate against Minister Wike. These persons include (i) Association of retired military Generals and officers, (ii) politicians who think that the ministerial portfolio of the FCT belongs only one section of the country, (iii) politicians who are in the same political party with him but disagree fundamentally on the zoning policies of the PDP and the consequences of not adhering to same, (iv) Nigerians who dislike his guts and are envious of his achievements in every office that he occupied including his proactive and wonderful tour of service in the FCT.
“This is not the first time that people who mean well for the nation and are working hard to prove their mettle are hated.
” Nyesom Wike is in good company. Chief Obafemi Awolowo SAN was intensely hated by some sections of the country despite all the fruits of his sagacity and industry. It was only after he passed on that the same naysayers testified that ‘he was the best President that Nigeria never had’. But in this instance, it is getting increasingly absurd and nauseating to find people going about needlessly peddling such unabridged hate.”
