Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, dismissed insinuations of using a disputed land issue in Abuja to fight the Nigerian military, saying he has always supported the armed forces.
Speaking with journalists on the clash involving his officials and some military personnel, Wike urged Nigerians to learn to obey the laws.
He said the government will not tolerate any attempt to violate land use regulations or obstruct government officials performing their lawful duties.
The Minister said his actions were strictly guided by law, not sentiment or emotion.
“You are told to obey legal orders, not orders that are illegal. So, if because you are a security aide, you think your superior ordered you to shoot at someone, you think you will not be charged for murder, because your superior gave you the order?” he asked.
“People have problems. We have tried to resolve them, but don’t use intimidation, don’t try to weaken 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 trying 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.
“If we are having a problem with the military, I know where to run to. If I don’t go to the Chief of Defence Staff, I will go to the Chief of Army Staff, or the Chief of Naval Staff, or Air Force, or the Chief of Defence Intelligence, I will go to the President.
“But in this case, it has to do with a private individual. So how many people would I run to? If you have a problem with us, should I 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.’ So I don’t have a problem with the military,” he said.
Wike, however, said the issue was blown out of proportion by those bent on portraying him as being at loggerheads with the military.
