The avoidable drama between Nigeria’s Minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike and officers of the Nigerian Navy, reportedly, acting under the orders of former Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, exposes 5 things about Wike.
Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com
Nnamani is a commentator on politics and public affairs. This is his first contribution to
First, is Wike’s lack of tact, his handling ubris, his volatile temperament, his poor conflict resolution ability and his propensity to always act under the influence….
Wike would have avoided the embarrassment he received from those brilliant, disciplined and focused Naval officers, if he had applied a little wisdom.
All Wike needed to do was pick up his phone , call the former Chief of Naval staff and possibly invite him over in any of the clubs where big men meet themselves at night, and they will trash out whatever issue it was.
But like a cheap Christmas knockout, it seemed that Wike was basking under the euphoria of two shots of Whiskey, chose to badge in and confront the armed and ready officers. And they embarrassed the hell out of him.
Wike should know that it’s good to be confident, but over-confidence is dangerous.
In the military, they understand rules of command and structure of engagement. Wike has not followed the rules of engagement.
Wike boasted that the man at whose behest and direction the young officer and the armed soldiers came (former Chief of Naval Staff) cannot stop him.
Now the man has stopped him and did it openly. It’s said in local Nigerian talk that if power jam power, one must bow….
While Wike was lamenting the embarrassment he faced, he accused the man of land grabbing. You can imagine an alleged notorious land grabber like Wike accusing another person of land grabbing.
it is so egregious that the former governor of Rivers State, an official of government was recorded, angrily telling a Naval officer to “shut up”.
He pointed to the soldier’s face querying him “who are you?”
is reflective of how low Wike the man can gomisbehaves if he is not quickly restrained by people around him.
Wike even said that retired CNS, at his level, should have called him or come over to his office to discuss those things with him.
Clearly, that’s the same problem we are taking about: how Wike overrates himself, overstates his importance and his relevance in many situations.
The officer and everyone involved during this unfortunate situation man heard former Gov. Wike dismiss the young officer as “a nobody”, and called him “a fool….”
The young officer kept his cool, chose to successfully “teach” the overreaching federal Minister Wike lessons he will not forget easily!
Wike made it a power tussle, a contest, and now, he has found out that “power pass power.”
We must learn lessons from this latest event.
