The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, has demanded a national apology from the Nigerian Navy over what he described as the “grossly improper conduct” of a junior naval officer who publicly confronted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport on his way to Lagos, Ambassador Igali expressed disappointment over what he termed the social media glamourisation of the incident involving a naval officer identified as Lieutenant A.M. Yerima and the FCT Minister, allegedly acting on the orders of a retired Service Chief.
He said such behaviour was a clear affront not only on Chief Wike but on the authority of the President himself, stressing that the FCT Minister deserves respect as a member of the Federal Executive Council and direct representative of the President in the administration of the nation’s capital.
“Chief Wike, CON, without doubt, is one of the best performing Ministers in this administration and deserves to be treated with much more respect and decorum.
“The incident was an open show of disdain for the office of the President, whose powers, vested in the FCT Minister, were so publicly ridiculed.”Ambassador Igali said
The PANDEF chairman urged the leadership of the Nigerian Navy to tender an unreserved apology on behalf of the officer involved and the retired superior who allegedly issued the illegal order.
He described the episode as a national embarrassment that must not be allowed to go unaddressed.
“The use of young, innocent officers for duties outside their constitutional mandate, such as guarding unoccupied lands or personal property, is a dangerous deviation that threatens professionalism in the military,” he warned.
Ambassador Igali further called on President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to investigate the matter thoroughly, insisting that respect for constituted civil authority is the foundation of a stable democracy.“We must draw a line between military service and civil governance. Protecting the dignity of the FCT Minister is protecting the authority of the President himself,” he added.
The confrontation between Chief Wike and a naval officer at a property site in Abuja sparked widespread debate on social media, with mixed reactions from Nigerians over the roles of both parties. The FCT Administration had earlier said the property in question was under investigation for illegal development.
