I will not be intimidated by any military – Wike

By Wumi Tewogbade (rtd), Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT)Minister Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, said he will not be intimidated or blackmailed by any military personnel from doing his job.

Wike stated this when he went on an unscheduled visit on a plot of land that was allegedly being illegally developed in Gaduwa, Abuja.

According to the Minister, he had earlier instructed the Director Development Control, Muktir Galadima, to go and demolish an alleged illegal development ongoing in plot 1946, Gaduwa district, Abuja, owned by the former Chief of Naval staff, Vice Admiral Awaul Zubairu Gambo.

But when the staff of Development control got to the property to effect the directive of the FCT Minister, they were forcefully driven out of the property by security acting on the former Chief of Naval staff, directives.

So the Director of Development control went to report back to the FCT Minister, who immediately came to see what was going on.

Wike while speaking to journalists said, “You are aware that the land departments and the development control have been mandated to see where the illegal development is going on and land grabbing. And when this was brought to my attention, I did instruct them to make sure that nothing takes place in as much as they did not have any legal paper in terms of regional approval or even the acquisition of the land. And when they came here, I was informed that the soldiers of the former Naval Chief, chase them away and I thought probably they would be acting illegally.

“And so today while I was in the office, while they came to implement the directive that was given to them by myself, I was called that the military have taken over the place and I have to come by myself to see things for myself. It’s really unfortunate. And you heard what the officers said, he was sent by the former chief of Naval Staff”.

The FCT Minister noted that the Naval Chief, should have approached him for discussion instead of taking law into his hands, “And I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position and he said that he has a problem cannot approach my office to say, look, this is what is going on, this is what is going on. But simply because he’s a military man, he could use that to intimidate Nigerians. I’m not one of those kind of persons that will succumb to blackmail or intimidation”.

He said there is no documents to prove, the Former Chief of Naval staff is actually the owner of the property in question.

“And where are the documents. And the Director of Development Control said, look, I was here. I said bring the documents, you don’t have the documents.

“Bring the approval for building, you don’t have it. And how can we continue to allow lawlessness to prevail in this country? What about those who don’t have the military? What about those who don’t have security? It has gotten to a level where when government officials are doing, carrying out their job, you go and bring security to intimidate them. And this government official, I will not accept that”.

He said, “I’ve spoken to the Chief of Defence Staff and I’ve spoken to the Chief of Naval Staff and they have assured me that, please, they have to resolve the matter. And we’re not coming here to have a shootout with anybody to cause chaos and all. But what I can say, I would not allow it to happen.

“The way we have done and carried out our jobs in other areas is the same way it will be done here. We will not allow this illegal development, simply because he was a former Chief of Naval Staff. I would not allow that”.