By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nysome Wike and men of the Naval Military brawled over an illegal building construction at the Gaduwa District, in Abuja.
Wike on Tuesday led senior officers of the FCT Administration to the building site, Plot 1946, Buffer Transit Southern Park Way, Gaduwa District, belonging to former Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, where arguments ensued over the illegal construction.
Wike, who in the company of other senior officers of the FCT administration had arrived at plot 1946, Buffer Transit Southern Park Way, Gaduwa District, belonging to Vice Admiral Gambo, when heated arguments ensued with the two parties.
Naval squad from the Naval Base acting on orders from above blocked entrance to the land with trucks, preventing FCTA bulldozers from entering, and the minister attacked and vehemently denied access.
While Wike and his security aides gained entrance into the site, the Naval squad declaring they were acting on orders from above, blocked the way, shoving the minister aside.
However, the minister had vowed that he would not allow any form of illegal development to go on.
According to Wike, the retired Naval officer, Vice Admiral Gambo does not have any paper or approval to develop the land, but wants to grab the land by intimidation.
Wike said, “I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position and 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 kinds of people that will succumb to blackmail or intimidation.“And And you can imagine where you cannot even prove where the documents are. 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.”
“ 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. He will not carry out this illegal deployment on land grounds simply because he was a former Chief of Naval Staff. I would not allow that.”
