Wike tackles Buratai over comment on clash with naval officer

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike on Thursday expressed disappointment over what he described as misinterpretation of the incident that occurred last Tuesday with Naval officers led by Lt A.M Yerima.

Wike questioned the comment by the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), that his action is a threat to national security and a slight on the authority of President Bola Tinubu..

The Minister, who addressed reporters at his official residence at Life Camp, faulted Buratai, for asking him to apologise to Lt. Yerima for the incident which happened in Gaduwa District of Abuja, saying the former Army chief cannot educate him about decency.

The Minister also did not spare Yarima for his role in the altercation that escalated over the disputed parcel of land that belonged to former Naval Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, which the FCT Administration said was illegal.

He accused the naval officer of accepting an illegal order in stark contravention of the rule of law.

Wike said: “I read what one former Chief of Army Staff wrote. He cannot tell me of decency and he can’t teach me. This was the same man who (allegedly) directed his GOC to rig election, my election in 2019. He couldn’t rig me. He lost.

“He told his GOC to kill me and I could not be killed. He became an agent in APC primaries to one of APC’s presidential aspirants. Look at the rank of a polling agent. He is the one commenting that the minister did this and that. I have never seen people like this.

“I have no regrets for my political opponents. I will continue to make them have sleepless nights. Whether you are in PDP, whether you are in APC, whether you are in ADC, it is not my business.

” I have no regrets supporting President Tinubu and I have never hidden my intention and I will continue to do what is right. So, if you like to write anything you want to write, as far as I know, I am standing by the side of the law. If you like, bring every ethnicity coloration, it is your business”.

Wike also blamed Lt. Yerima for the part in shoving by insisting he acted within the confines of his authority as a Minister representing President Bola Tinubu.

He said: “I mean, anybody should know. Yes, you are a young man and you are a commissioned officer. Mr man, I am a Minister and I’m representing Mr. President. That alone should have given you that decorum. But no, no you chose to challenge the Minister representing the President.

“And then you think that I am not a human being, I have no emotions. You are carrying out an illegal job. When people say, Order, do you need to carry out an illegal order? When you are an officer, you are doing something illegal. Even if it’s a legal order given to you, that job you are doing is illegal. I went there as an institution not a private individual, they arrested our officials”.

He cautioned everyone irrespective of position to respect the rule of law at all times.(The Nation)