Beyond Wike and Yerima

I do not intend to join the torrents of trolling on Nyesom Wike, the boisterous Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He has had enough of it from the press, social media, and skit makers. Apparently, he was left in the lurch. And as observed by Farooq Kperogi, “The fact that even people at the core of the current power structure have not come out to defend Wike tells you that most of them are embarrassed by his trademark coarseness and that he is a burden that is tolerated only for strategic political calculations.” For me, the sobering lesson for Wike is the ability to know when to exercise restraint and when to wield the big stick.

Now that the fox has been chased away, it is time to tell some home truths to the indecent hen that exposed her chicks to the preying predators. What are the issues? Why were the retired military generals blowing hot? Why did the almost blood-bath situation in Gaduwa occur in the first place? Was the altercation between officers of the state and government necessary? My take is that all the power showmanship was an extension of the elite struggle for consolidation of privileges at the expense of the common man impoverished by soulless capitalism. So, the inflamed passion and ‘roforofo’ fight was a thunderclap of a tensed and rigged system.

Obviously, the mood of the nation requires a measured form of engagement, especially in matters that could trigger public outrage or embolden the powerful to ignite fire. Those in government who have access to intelligence and whispered confidences ought to know this. It is not the best times for President Tinubu. And anybody working with him and for him should learn to mobilize national solidarity in order to get the country out of doldrums. Bashing and throwing of invectives by those in authority and their apologists should be avoided.

But the vexed issue here is land grabbing. Land is a goldmine in Abuja. A pauper with no skill and enterprise can turn into an overnight millionaire if he knows the FCT Minister. Land allocation is therefore a public till of settlement for the boys, cronies, friends, power brokers, and ruling party apparatchiks. Some of today’s moneyed class built their stupendous wealth from land speculation and real estate development in Abuja. Hence, land administration can be a tool of empowerment and disempowerment. It is can be used to dispense goodwill and punishment alike depending on the side you are in each political dispensation.

Be that as it may, the federal capital territory (Abuja) used to serve as the ancestral home of Gbagyi (Gwari) people. But they largely gave it up for public interest and became dispossessed and displaced from the trans-generational asset. The peanuts given to some lucky ones as compensation remain a far cry from the billions of naira made by land speculators inside and outside government. To say the least, Nigeria has been unfair to them. Were they relocated in a dignified manner and their well-being properly captured in FCT budgets? Is there a provision for scholarships, enterprise development and skills acquisition for their children? Are they not supposed to enjoy first-rate treatment vis-a-vis the quantum of sacrifices they made? I doubt if they have the capacity and resolve to engage and mount constructive pressure.

As capitalism runs in a rat race, concession for the downtrodden is scarcely given a thought in the Abuja land bazaar. Everything is all about profit and profit maximization. That is why there is a near-absence of new government-funded decent and low-cost housing estates, at least, in the suburbs or far-flung Kuje, Karsana, Kubwa, Lokogoma, etc, for the lower class. Or, in the nearby Niger and Nasarawa States. The earliest buildings constructed during the military era had been completely sold out. No new ones. No accommodation stop-gap for new employees. Everybody is now subjected to the harsh realities of market forces.  That is why urban slums have refused to disappear from the city entirely. And this speaks volumes of our national conscience and empathy.

On the issue of land allocation, questions abound. How has the successive FCT administrators exercised this discretion? Do we have federal character in its implementation? What are the conditions? How are the revoked lands deployed for public interest? It is interesting that our former security chiefs who are now money-bags roared to protect one of their own at the centre of the crisis, retired Air Vice Marshal Awwal Zubairu Gambo, who left service at the age of 57, but is alleged to have multi-billion-naira houses in Abuja. The retired military generals understand that land administration in FCT leaves much to be desired. No transparency. The opacity is very loud. It is a dog-eat-dog affair. Allegations of abuse and misappropriations of lands remain unanswered. Therefore, they cashed in on the need of the hour (pampering of the military) to trounce Wike.

In this case, the military enjoyed massive goodwill and support from government and civil society. The indomitable Wike was forced to backtrack and swallow his words.  But I hope the same voices of the citizenry would not be clamped down when security forces are criticized for human rights violations. We have not forgotten the Amnesty International’s indictment of killings of Shi’ites in Zaria in 2015, the disproportionate use of force against pro-IPOB peaceful activists, and the fate of #EndSARS protesters. In the same manner, we expect the former army chief, Tukur Buratai, to tell us what happened in those dark eras of our history.  We deserve to know.

Nonetheless, the greatest show for me is the comportment of Lieutenant A. M. Yerima. Though I take exception to the way he hushed down the police officer who accompanied Wike (the mindset at the heart of security inter-agency rivalry), I commend his relishing of the three-word line, “I HAVE INTEGRITY”. How many young people today will profess integrity as a badge of honour?  Indeed, Yerima transformed from a pawn in the game to a moral compass. That is the silver lining!