Former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Joe Abah, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his recent altercation with a naval officer at a disputed site in Abuja.
He described the minister’s conduct as “unbecoming of a public servant.”
In a statement shared on his social media handle, Dr. Abah said it was inappropriate for Minister Wike to have called the naval officer a “fool” during the exchange, stressing that leaders must show restraint and respect in dealing with fellow public servants.
“Minister Wike, a public servant, was wrong to call the young officer, a fellow public servant, a fool,” Abah stated. “He should not call anybody a fool, let alone someone performing official duties. The honourable thing to do is to apologize to the officer.”
Abah further urged the FCT Minister to extend his apology beyond the officer involved, saying his behavior was inconsistent with the standards expected of a federal minister.
“He should also apologize to the President and to the Nigerian public for conduct that fell short of what is expected from a Minister of the Government of Nigeria,” he added.
However, Abah agreed that Wike had a valid point in questioning the military’s involvement in a civil dispute over private property.
“Minister Wike was right to challenge the impunity of deploying military officers to a private property,” he noted. “If, as the naval officer claimed, civilians were working on the site and FCDA officials came to stop them, the proper response was not to send in the military. Whoever gave that order should be sanctioned by the President and Commander-in-Chief.”
Abah also cautioned the naval officer involved to maintain professionalism in such situations, emphasizing that uniformed personnel must avoid overstepping their roles.
“The officer should be guided that while obeying orders, he must not ‘descend into the arena’ or make categorical statements about the legitimacy of the property documents,” Abah advised. “As Minister Wike rightly said, that is not his place.”
The clash between Wike and the naval officer has sparked wide public debate, with many Nigerians calling for a more measured and professional approach from both sides in handling official disputes.
