Callers on Nigeria Info’s Morning Crossfire have expressed their views on the recent public altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and naval officer Lieutenant Commander A.M. Yerima.
The dispute arose over the allocation of land reportedly belonging to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, which the FCT Administration said was being illegally occupied. The problem began when Yerima prevented the minister from accessing the property, insisting that he was acting on orders.
One caller said the minister should apologise to Nigerians for the public confrontation with a military officer, noting that such behaviour, especially amid global attention on Nigeria, amounts to ridiculing the country. He argued that Wike could have resolved the matter more discreetly. He urged President Bola Tinubu to caution both the Chief of Defence Staff and the minister to maintain law and order.
Another caller insisted that Wike should be dismissed from office. He argued that the minister’s actions embarrassed the country and were unacceptable for someone holding an honourable status in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
A third caller condemned the deployment of military personnel to guard private property instead of national assets. While he acknowledged that the minister acted in anger, he argued that the officer’s response set a wrong precedent. He emphasised that both public officials and military personnel must operate within the limits of their proper roles.
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