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It was a Tuesday like no other in Abuja.The scene, a disputed construction site in Gaduwa District, a suburb of the the federal capital Territory (FCT), Abuja was riotous and extremely chaotic. The two protagonists were the FCT Minister and the immediate past Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and a young Naval officer, Lt. A.M Yerima. Yerima was the leader of a team of Navy personnel guiding the disputed property under construction belonging to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (Rtd).
The atmosphere became unpleasantly charged when the convoy of the FCT Minister arrived at the site for inspection and possible enforcement of the Federal Capital Development Administration, FCTA order. Unfortunately, the road to the location of the property had already been blocked by Lt. Yerima and his men, allegedly acting on the orders of Admiral Gambo.
What was the issue at stake?
According to the FCT Minister, the land Admiral Gambo was building on was illegally acquired by the retired Naval Chief and was not meant for residential purposes. And to prevent officials of the FCTA from stopping work on the land or demolishing the building under construction, Admiral Gambo got the Navy to detail a team of armed Naval personnel led by Lt. Yerima to keep watch there, guide and secure the property for him.
Wike could be right. And this is why: That a team of armed Naval personnel were sent to protect the property suggested that there was indeed a huge question mark on it.
Then apparently unsure of the real status of his property, the ex Naval General made his move. Admiral Gambo, knowing the absurdities that Abuja is- a city where illegalities bound, where power speaks, where might is right, where those in authority throw around their weights, intimidate and brazenly unleash impunity on the weak and turn logic on its head- decided to take his destiny in his own hands by bringing the influence he still wields within the military hierarchy to bear on his endangered property. This he did by getting his constituency, the Navy to despatch Lt. Yerima and his team to guard the property. Were he not that proactive, the building under construction at the site would have probably been reduced to a heap of rubble by now.
Given the foregoing, one can now understand the presence of Lt. Yerima at the site and his uncompromising, resolute resistance against Wike’s attempted intrusion.
But then, an Igbo adage says that “clear conscience fears no accusation”.Many Abuja residents who are genuine land owners do not tremble at the sight of FCTA officials. Only those that acquired theirs through the backdoor or questionable means fret when FCTA officials approach. Now, the question is: Did Vice Admiral Gambo indeed acquire the disputed property legally or was Wike just trying to flex his muscles and stamp his magisterial presence?
According to the Media aid to the Minister, Mr Olalere Olayinka, “in 2022, the allottee of the park, ( Santos Gardens)who was allocated the two flanks of the parkway running over 2km for the development of recreational parks, approached the former FCT Administration for change of purpose to other commercial land uses. The request was declined, because there was no detailed design for the southern parkway yet. And the plots to be laid out are to be for different corporate entities and public institutions.
“Apparently and speculatively, in anticipation of the ministerial approval ( which was declined), the allottee of the park plot ( Messrs Santos Garden) parceled out the land and sold to innocent citizens of which the former CNS was one of such persons. The former CNS further claimed to have gotten development permits for the on-going development”
Let’s now to turn legality or otherwise of Wike’s presence at the disputed property: By the virtue of Section 11 of the Land Use Act, the Minister of the FCT is empowered to enter and inspect land comprising any statutory right or any improvements effected thereon, at any reasonable hours in the day time. The law equally requires the occupier to permit and give free access to the Minister to enter and inspect the land. If Lt. Yerima who, although conducted himself in a very commendable manner without cocking the gun nor ordering his boys to do the untoword, had known that the land he was directed to guard was in dispute, maybe he wouldn’t have resisted Wike because the order he received was akin to being ordered to protect a stolen good.
Yerima’s comportment is highly commendable. However, officers of his caliber should always cross check the full details of assignments given to them by their bosses. My police orderly once told me the story of his colleague who declined an instruction from a Commissioner to escort what he later found out to be illegal goods. His refusal to act on the illegal order made the Commissioner to instantly replace him with a more pliant orderly.
Perhaps, Yerima would have declined the order if he was aware that his boss was allegedly using his position to illegally acquire the land in question.
By preventing the Minister from gaining access to the land in question, he was also preventing the president and Commander-in- Chief from gaining access into the land. By preventing or blocking the Minister he was also blocking the president and Commander-in-chief.
Yerima unknowingly contravened the Nigerian law. Ignorance of the law is no defence or excuse for breaking it hence the young Naval officer inadvertently broke the law. No one told him that Wike was appointed by the President of federal republic of Nigeria and that the President who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was the same person who also appointed his boss as the Chief of Naval Staff. Now, if Lt Yerima could obey his boss, why did he not extend the same respect to the Minister given that we are in democracy and not military dispensation? Military personnel must obey any one appointed by the president and Commander-in-Chief. If Yerima had done this,the altercation between him and Wike would have been avoided given that the Constitution and the Armed Forces Act do not permit any senior officer to deploy any member of the Armed Forces to guard any landed personal property in any manner whatsoever. Private security operatives are there to be paid for such assignments or job. I am convinced that if Lt. Yerima was aware that the land was allegedly acquired illegally he would have declined and find a way of excusing himself from such controversial assignment.
President Tinubu may have specifically tasked Wike with returning sanity to Abuja in terms of illegal land acquisitions hence his far- reaching reforms in the FCT. Just like Wike, I recall the era of Mallam Nasiru El-rufai. He was equally tasked with restoring Abuja to it’s original masterplan. He was labeled “Mr Demolition” in the course of carrying out this task. Wike may not be perfect. Like every human being he has his weak points but he is evidently carrying out, dutifully and uncompromisingly, the mandate given to him by Mr President: Restoring Abuja to its original masterplan.
That said, I’m of the view that the President and governors should always ensure their aides are subjected to thorough psychological, mental and emotional evaluation before they are appointed because I can’t fathom why a Minister should call a military officer a fool or shout at him in public, ordering him to shut up. It was an unnecessary public disgrace.( To be continued)
