2 hours ago
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By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has debunked societal media reports suggesting a idiosyncratic beef with the subject successful the aftermath of a caller disagreement with a naval serviceman stationed astatine a disputed onshore successful Abuja, allegedly by a retired naval chief.
Speaking with journalists connected Thursday successful Abuja, Wike said the FCT Administration volition not succumb to intimidation oregon let immoderate individual, careless of status, to interruption onshore usage regulations oregon obstruct authorities officials performing their lawful duties.
The curate stated that his actions person been guided strictly by instrumentality and not by sentiment oregon emotion.
He said, “You are told to obey ineligible things. So, if, due to the fact that you are a information aide, to say, a erstwhile president, oregon immoderate and past you sprout astatine someone, you deliberation you volition not beryllium charged for murder, due to the fact that it is simply a erstwhile president that gave you the order?
“When radical person problems, we effort to resoluteness them, but don’t usage intimidation, don’t effort to weaken government. You cannot weaken government. Because erstwhile we let this now, others volition travel suit. And past they volition say, erstwhile it happened to this and that, what did you do?
“So, gentlemen, I person respect for the military. I volition proceed to respect them due to the fact that I cognize what they basal for. So anybody trying to bring collision there, to say, oh, helium is having a occupation with the military, it is not correct. I don’t person a occupation with the subject and I volition not person a problem.”
“If we are having a occupation with the military, I cognize wherever to tally to. If I spell to the Chief of Defence Staff, I volition spell to the Chief of Army Staff, oregon Chief of Naval Staff, oregon Air Force, oregon Chief of Defence Intelligence etc. I could spell to the president. I could bash that. But arsenic a backstage individual, however galore radical would I tally to? If you person a occupation with us, I volition tally to the president. Who does that? So, each I volition beryllium telling them each time is, ‘This idiosyncratic is having a occupation with us, this idiosyncratic is having problems?’ So I don’t person a occupation with the military,” helium said.
Wike, however, said the contented had been blown retired of proportionality by those bent connected portraying him arsenic being astatine loggerheads with the military.
He said the FCT Administration’s work is to support the integrity of Abuja’s maestro program and guarantee that each developments conform with approved onshore usage provisions.
According to him, those who obtained onshore for cultivation purposes but aboriginal converted it to residential estates oregon commercialized ventures without support would beryllium made to look the law.
“Government cannot relation successful a lawless society. If we let 1 idiosyncratic to interruption the rules due to the fact that of who helium is, others volition follow. That is however impunity begins. We indispensable larn to obey the instrumentality irrespective of who is involved,” helium said.
The curate stressed that the FCTA had successful the past engaged the subject hierarchy connected akin matters involving onshore ownership disputes, and that specified engagements had ever been handled with communal respect and understanding.
“Whenever determination is simply a substance that concerns the military, I cognize who to speech to – the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs oregon adjacent the President. We resoluteness issues institutionally, not done confrontation,” helium said.
Wike besides faulted media reports that suggested his comments oregon actions were targeted astatine information agencies, informing writers to verify accusation and debar sensationalism. “Report america accurately. Do investigative journalism. Don’t twist facts oregon instrumentality statements retired of context,” helium said.
Recalling instances during his tenure arsenic Rivers State politician erstwhile helium personally intervened to forestall information operatives from violating citizens’ rights, Wike said his existent actions were accordant with his content successful lawful governance.
He added that those accusing him of high-handedness simply misunderstood his resoluteness to bash what is right.
Wike added that enactment often requires taking pugnacious decisions that whitethorn not delight everyone. “You can’t marque everybody happy, adjacent successful your ain house. But erstwhile your conscience is wide that you are doing the close thing, you basal by it,” helium said.
The curate reaffirmed his committedness to President Bola Tinubu’s imaginativeness of restoring bid and sanity to the nation’s capital, promising that enforcement against amerciable developments, onshore grabbing and violations of the Abuja maestro program would proceed without compromise.
“As agelong arsenic I stay FCT Minister, the instrumentality volition instrumentality its course. Abuja indispensable bespeak the representation of Nigeria – disciplined, planned and lawful,” Wike declared.
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