Dare Babalola
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), a top socio-political organisation representing the South-South region, has demanded that the Nigerian Navy immediately apologise to Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, over a confrontation between Wike and naval officer Lt. A.M. Yerima on Tuesday.
PANDEF National Chairman, Dr Boladei Igali, made the demand during a statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday.
The confrontation happened when the former Rivers governor visited a disputed plot of land in Gaduwa District, FCT, and clashed with naval officer Lt. Yerima, who was present at the scene.
In the statement, Igali further slammed the officer over his conduct in the videos circulating on social media, describing the conduct of the junior naval officer as improper.
Igali noted that the former naval chief, who ordered the junior officer to mount the site should have known that Wike, as a member of the Federal Executive Council, represents President Bola Tinubu in FCT matters and deserves respect.
Igali stated, “Wike, without doubt one of the best-performing ministers in this administration, deserves to be treated with much more respect and decorum.”
The diplomat and former Bayelsa State Government Secretary emphasised that the naval officer’s actions were unacceptable, as they not only disrespected Wike but also undermined the authority of the President, whose powers were being exercised by the FCT Minister.
He continued, “The Minister of the FCT deserves an unconditional apology from the leadership of the Nigerian Navy on behalf of its former head and the young officer involved in the horrible spectacle, which is an act outside its core mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of the country.
“The act of using ordinary innocent junior military personnel to perform illegal duties like watching over unoccupied personal lands or the like must not be tolerated, irrespective of the self-restraint of the latter.”
Igali called on President Tinubu to direct the relevant security and law enforcement authorities to fully investigate the incident and bring those involved to book.
He said, “This will preserve professionalism in the military and guarantee respect for constituted civil authority, which is the most basic foundation for building a stable, virile democracy where the law rules at all times.”
The PANDEF leader insisted that the person of the FCT Minister must be fully protected from such overzealousness as he continues to carry out his assigned duties with passion and zeal.
