- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has opened up on the clash against military personnel over a disputed land allegedly owned by former Chief of Naval Staff. Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (Rtd).
This is coming two days after the fierce face-off between the Wike-led officials of the FCT Administration and Naval officers guarding the land.
NPO Reported that the Minister had on Tuesday stormed the property for demolition but was challenged by the military personnel who denied him access.
A fierce exchange of words would ensue between the Minister and the team leader, Lt. Ahmed Yerima.
Speaking over the incident in a Press Conference held on Thursday in Abuja, Wike maintained that he respects all government institutions, including the military.
He claimed to have always been a strong supporter of the military since his time as Rivers State Governor.
Wike however decried the military’s attack on officials of the FCTA which he claimed to have led to his visit to the site.
He reiterated that the land never belonged to the former Naval Chief as he recalled how the government had originally allocated the land to contractor who initally sought permission to build on temporary park and recreation centre on it.
“How can I sit as a Minister and government officials are being attacked?Government officials, to the level of Directorship, are being beaten up. Then I’m sitting in my office doing what?
“How will such officials carry out their functions again when they know that they boss cannot protect them?
“I respect institutions and I know what it takes. Even as a governor, nobody will say he supported the military more than me.
“But how do you see a private individual, knowing fully well that you are against the law. It is not military government. No. If it was military, I would have written to them that military look o why are you people doing this.
“He is a private individual. Land was not allocated to him. Land was allocated to a company called Santos in 2007 for parks and recreation.
“They applied to the former Minister for a change of use. The minister refused. The man went and started selling lands.’
“Maybe the former Chief of Naval Staff fell into their scam. This is government property. This is not your property. If government officials came to say look, what are you doing here?
“Government assigned committee for taking back every land under parks and recreation, even under secretariat because we felt that there are lot of suits and litigations. We said no we won’t continue with that.
“You started beating government officials, not private people. You were beating senior government officials. You couldn’t even say okay let me get to the minister to see how they can help us.
“No, nothing like that simply because you have relationship with the military and government cannot enforce laws because you have a relationship with a particular institution.
“Or you come from a particular place. Who does that? Who does such thing. How will this country progress?” He said.
Wike held that the he had resolved similar land issues involving former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Army Chief, General T.Y Danjuma, who both called him for his assistance.
“Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a General, former Head of States, former President, will call him on phone, ‘Minister there is this problem of land here, please, can you?’ I will resolve the problem.
“That is former Head of States. Former elected President will have the courtesy to call a Minister that I have this problem, see how you can look into it.
“General TY Danjuma will call you. These are people who are retired Generals. These are people with discipline. They never said because they were former President. They never sent soldiers to attack anybody.
“And respect begats respect. I have to respect them.” He said.