Who are you?!

“Don’t think there are no crocodiles just because the water is calm”. African proverbs. The recent face- off and humiliation of FCT Minister Wike by a young naval officer reminds us of a damaging flaw in our national character. This flaw which can be summed up in the familiar phrase, ‘who are you’?! anchors our […]

“Don’t think there are no crocodiles just because the water is calm”. African proverbs.

The recent face- off and humiliation of FCT Minister Wike by a young naval officer reminds us of a damaging flaw in our national character. This flaw which can be summed up in the familiar phrase, ‘who are you’?! anchors our obsession with rank and power in inter-personal relations. A variant is, “do you know who I am?!” They are generally employed to establish dominance or create parity in a context defined by some level of stress or hostility. It is quite possibly uniquely Nigerian, but more likely a human instrument variously used to gain advantages over others. This phrase has now been publicly tested and found inadequate when Wike’s considerable weight was deflected by a calm head and confident courage of a young man who himself appeared to know there were other ‘whos’ behind him. That retreat by Wike has opened up an animated national discussion, most of which suggests that Wike will not win a popularity contest in Nigeria. More important, it asks questions over the psychology of the powerful man and his relationships with other values such as respect for other humans, the place of rules and laws, and our inner character as Nigerians.
Popular opinion suggests that there was a loser in that face-off. Not the facts, but millions of Nigerians who have suffered under the hands of impunity and big men think arrogant power has had its nose bloodied. This verdict says a lot about popular perception of powerful people who lead us. Just think: Wike could have engaged the Chief of Defence Staff, any of the two Ministers of Defence, Chief of Staff to the President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation or any half a dozen very influential people with access to Mr President to report a major infringement on development regulations which needed to be addressed immediately, before embarking on that ill-fated show of empty force. Indeed, he could have spoken to the President himself and made a case for immediate and decisive action against a very high former military officer who is defying the law on developments. That, as we hear, is how powerful Wike is. He could have sought to speak with the alleged offender himself. He could have just as easily allowed due process to decide whether the building and the offending presence of a former high ranking military officer needed to be brought down. This, it appears, is not in Wike’s character. His adventures in his party, the PDP, in his Rivers State and his larger-than- life presence as Minister, FCT, may have toughened him beyond ordinary thinking that there are options in dealing with challenges.
Wike was not the only loser in that face-off. Laws of the land and responsibility of leadership may have suffered further defeat because we are unlikely to know how this saga will end. Weighty voices have been heard offering opinions deeply coloured by prejudice. Most suggest Wike assaulted the position of President Tinubu’s constitutional position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the manner he engaged the young military officer. Others argued that Wike was exercising powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and no military officer, serving or retired should have stopped him. We have heard a minister say he had advised Minister Wike to await investigations and consultations.
What we have not heard is the opinion and position of the president, whose powers and obligations to do right are being invoked by all sides. President Tinubu enjoys the benefit of immediate access to everything there is to establish what is right, who was wrong and how this public embarrassment of power should be resolved. He has a choice of anywhere between a slap on the wrist to dismissal of Wike. He could come out in defence of a very powerful ally and Minister and damn uproar by millions of citizens who are virtually resigned to the untouchability of power in Nigeria. He had pulled Wike’s chesnuts out of the fire a number of times in the past, but Tinubu must also be acutely aware of the sensitivity of offending the military establishment at this very moment. A former Chief of Defence Staff’s contribution to the uproar was to describe the face-off as a threat to national security. On the other hand, the right of huge numbers of victims of Wike’s bulldozers and the right of Nigerians to know if there are a select group of Nigerians in uniform who can embark on constructions without complying with due process will remain loud and relevant.
President Tinubu stands between Minister Wike and a former Chief of Naval Staff. Correction: Tinubu stands between doing justice to his oath to protect the law and public interest, and the temptations to play politics with a very sensitive issue and hope that Nigerians’ seemingly resigned spirits against impunity will retreat further. Unfortunately, this is not the type of problem you solve with a small meeting involving a few disputants and hope it will go away. When Wike left his office with his large posse of security personnel, officials and cameras to teach the top brass of the military that his word is law in FCT, he dragged with him the entire integrity and credibility of President Tinubu. The young officer who eventually turned Wike back did so on behalf of a military hierarchy that is accountable to Tinubu. True loyalty has two sides. It will be the worst move to make, if Tinubu confirms the suspicion that Wike is actually his alter ego.
I wish I will be wrong here, but I suspect this embarrassing shame will be settled in the traditional manner leaders in our country have preferred. Usually, potential fights are delayed or abandoned when adversaries shout, “who are you?!” to each other with equal threats and venom. In this particular case, a very likely outcome will be one that ignores the entire episode and the country moves on. Wike will remain in place, and will demolish other buildings whose owners are not threats to national security. The military officer will finish his structure. Nigerians will admire the young Lieutenant, but would bow lower to power and impunity.