By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has said that he will always respect and support the military amid the Abuja land dispute.
Wike emphasized this on Thursday while speaking to journalists dismissed insinuations of using a disputed land issue in Abuja to confront the Nigerian military.
Wike stated that government will not tolerate any attempt to violate land use regulations or obstruct government officials performing their lawful duties, as he urged Nigerians to learn to obey the laws,
He explained that his actions have been guided strictly by law and not by sentiment or emotion.
He said, “You are told to obey legal orders, not illegal orders. So if, because you are a security aide, your superior ordered you to shoot at someone, and you do, you think you will not be charged for murder, because your superior gave you the order?
“People have problems. We have tried to resolve them, but don’t use intimidation; don’t try to weaken the government. You cannot weaken government. Because when we allow this now, others will follow suit. And then they will say, when it happened to this and that, what did you do?
“So, gentlemen, I have respect for the military. I will continue to respect them. So anybody attempting to bring collision there, to say, “Oh, he is having a problem with the military,” it is not correct. I don’t have a problem with the military, and I will not have a problem with them.”
“If we are having a misunderstanding with the military, I know where to run to. If I don’t go to the Chief of Defence Staff, I will go to Chief of Army Staff, or the Chief of Naval Staff, or Air Force, or Chief of Defence Intelligence; I will go to the president.”
“But in this case, it had to do with a private individual. So how many people would I run to? If you have a problem with us, I will run to the president. Who does that? So all I will be telling the president every day, this individual is having a problem with us, this individual is having a problem. Therefore, I don’t have a problem with the military, ” he said.
Wike, however, condemned the issue as having been blown out of proportion by those bent on portraying him as being at loggerheads with the military.
According to him, he only intervened after top officials of the FCTA were assaulted while carrying out their official duties, saying that as a minister, he won’t sit in his office while those working with him are being attacked.”
The minister recalled that when the police had a similar issue, he personally visited the site where buildings were being constructed under the power line, and the Inspector-General of Police ensured the stoppage of the construction.”
He said the FCT Administration’s duty is to protect the integrity of Abuja’s master plan and ensure that all developments conform with approved land use provisions.
He noted that those who obtained land for agricultural purposes but later converted it to residential estates or commercial ventures without approval would be made to face the law.
“Government cannot function in a lawless society. If we allow one person to violate the rules because of who he is, others will follow.”
“That is how impunity begins. We must learn to obey the law irrespective of who is involved”, he said.
The minister stressed that the FCTA had in the past engaged the military hierarchy on similar matters involving land ownership disputes, adding that such engagements had always been handled with mutual respect and understanding.
“Whenever there is a matter that concerns the military, I know who to talk to: the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, or even the President. We resolve issues institutionally, not through confrontation,” he said.
Wike also condemned media reports for insinuating that his comments or actions were targeted at security agencies, as he urged journalists to verify information and avoid sensationalism.
“Report us accurately. Do investigative journalism. Don’t twist facts or take statements out of context.”
Wike said his current actions were consistent with his belief in lawful governance, as he recalled cases when he was the Rivers State governor. He would personally intervene to prevent security operatives from violating citizens’ rights.
And for those accusing him of high-handedness, they simply misunderstood his resolve to do what is right, he said.
He noted that leadership most times requires taking tough decisions that may not please everyone.
“You can’t make everybody happy, even in your house. But once your conscience is clear that you are doing the right thing, you stand by it,” he said.
However, Wike reaffirmed his commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s vision of restoring order and sanity to the nation’s capital, promising that enforcement against illegal developments, land grabbing, and violations of the Abuja master plan would continue without compromise.
“As long as I remain the FCT Minister, the law will take its course. Abuja must reflect the image of Nigeria—disciplined, planned, and lawful,” he stressed.
