The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has of recent come under intensed persecution following some Nigerian Islamic clerics’ demand against all odds for his head to be chopped off. Wike who stood firm against the intrigues of his political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), dared and overwhelmed the party hierarchy’s manuverings was able to survive its intriguing hurdles without any suspension till the end of his mandate as a two tenure Governor only to be dragged into another battle for his life. BULUS GAMBO writes.
THIS time around, the conspiracy is incisively religiously motivated by a group of religious extremists and bigots who care-less about the corporate existence of a nation called Nigeria. By their unrepentant behavioral attitudes, one can vehemently conclude that their desire is to create a borderless Islamic state at all cost, not minding the colossal loss such an agitation could bring. These are a group of clerics’ who are based on selfish and devilish agenda ready to pull down and destroy every sense of human civilization in our contemporary nation for no good of anyone but them.
In fact, Wike’s thick skin, magnitude of boldness, both during and in the aftermath of the 2023 general elections till now makes one wonder what he has up his shelves. Even before the general elections which saw his party losing out at the presidential elections, the former Governor of Rivers State was able to prove the Ikwerre genetics in him. Through his remarkable sojourn in the precarious jungle of acrimonious political circumstances, as Governor of one of the most delicate states in the country, Wike was able to hold his ground and subdue his antagonists without much pains in Rivers State.
It was in the midst of this brouhaha in the aftermath of the 2023 polls and swearing-in of a new administration that the incumbent President Bola Tinubu appointed him as FTC minister on the 16th August 2023 following his nomination, screening and approval by the Senate. Though many political pundits would say the god of politics has been fear to Ezenwo, cynics will never accept the reality of the fact that his doggedness and boldness contributed to uplifting him to the position he presently occupies in the country. A few days ago, I had the privilege of going into a crucial discussion with a friend of mind. As we went deeper into sharing our thoughts, one thing which brought our thoughts into a definitive consensus was that, only ‘mad” people and sick people Nigerians love to have as leaders. For Wike, his outstanding qualities as a “mad” man who is always fond of making trouble where there is none has helped him advanced his political career.
Just recently however, some Muslims clerics seem to have ganged-up in their thoughts and actions that Ezenwo must be removed from office as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. One of such clerics is none other than Sheik Abubakar Mahmud Gumi who recently asked President Tinubu to sack the minister without any further delay.
While submitting reasons behind his agitations, Gumi in a sermon said “the minister of the FCT is a devilish man. When he was appointed, I told you he was devilish and some people were grumbling. He went and brought the Israeli ambassador. Someone sent it to me, but I am yet to see it and confirm.”
Gumi continued in his outburst that “But what is confirmed is he (Wike) said he will collaborate with the Israelis to improve Abuja’s security. Therefore, Abuja will now be like Tel Aviv where when they see anyone with beard like us, they will say it is Bin Laden and kill us… there is an agenda. All means of making money and economic power have been hijacked by them, they want to keep doing it for the next four or eight years, but they will not Insha Allah.”
Another comments attributed to Gumi while delivering his sermon in the mosque was that “If Israelis enter this country, there will be clandestine operation against any outspoken Islamic cleric, we have seen the signs in the past. Why was Sheikh Jaafar killed? Why did they kill Sheikh Albany?
Sheikh Gumi then demanded that “Tinubu should remove the minister of FCT or we will not be on the same page with him.” Many other clerics also claimed that there is no way they will accept an infidel to be appointed as minister of the FCT in the person of Wike when the territory belongs to the core Arewa Muslims.
Interestingly, the Gbagyi people who are the real owners of Abuja have responded that Abuja was never infiltrated by any jihad during the conquest and no part of the land belongs to the core northern oligarchy. They also warn all clerics touring these lines of thoughts to desist henceforth not to throw this country into an unprecedented crisis.
For the records however, in 1976, it is a known fact that their land was reclaimed from them to form the present seat of power. That year, the military had this idea of no-man’s land in the geographical centre of the nation which no group should lay claim to. The purpose was that a place should be found where Nigerians could unite together.
Therefore, an 8,000 square kilometers where the flourishing city is built belongs to the Gbagyi who have for several years complained of deliberate marginalization of the highest order in the country. Interestingly, despite their predicaments, this ethnic group has never went violent while demanding for what is theirs to be actualised.
Come to think of all this however, it is fallacious for these Muslim clerics to lay claim to Abuja just because the military government of Murtala Mohammed initiated the establishment of the FTC. It is also outrageously fallacious for them to think so just because of successive appointments of Muslims as Ministers of the FCT in recent years.
Beyond all this however, I really find significant fault in the way and manner Sheikh Gumi kept on in an overwhelming animosity calling Wike an evil man when in the real sense of it, as a religious leader, he ought to call our leaders to repentance. This intense degree of hate exhibited against Wike by Sheikh Gumi is beyond comprehension and sad in all its ramifications.
Of much concern however is the hatred some of these clerics have also exhibited against the State of Israel and Christians in this country. I cannot imagine that just because Wike hosted an Israeli ambassador in his office, the minister should out-rightly be sacked? The question we must ask ourselves then is, would the Christian population call for a Muslim minister’s sack if he decides to host any official from Saudi Arabia and or from any Islamic nation of the world?
In the aftermath of Wike’s ministerial appointment, some of these clerics have been unleashing derogatory and inflammatory remarks with impunity. Thus, some of them have forgotten the reality of the fact that Nigeria does not practice a one state religion while its multi-diversity should be reflected in all its administrative framework in the country.
Some of these clerics must be educated that whither this incumbent government was elected under the platform of their perceived Muslim-Muslim ticket, this does not mean that other non-Muslim citizens of this nation should be marginalised and traumatised in such an inhuman and barbaric manner.
Therefore, their call for the sack of the FTC minister is not only myopic, useless and baseless, this move is divisive, unimaginable, retrogressive and uncivilised in our contemporary society. If Wike should be relieved of his ministerial appointment, these clerics should be able to convince Mr. President and the citizens of this country that as far as this administration’s ideological philosophy is concern, Christians are not qualified to be appointed to serve in some specific offices in this country. This same pro-divisive clerics must also advance a legislative change to specify lucrative positions which only Muslims must occupy and other less significant ones which would be settled for by non-Muslims. But again, it is no longer news that minority ethnic nationalities and Christians who are indigenes of states dominated by Muslims have for decades continued to suffer in silence in this country. Thus, if such clerics will have the guts to lay claim to areas outside their domain and insinuate that only Muslims are qualified to be given appointments there, then only God knows the nature of ill-treatment they are dishing out to non-Muslims in their respective states.
More worrisome however is the incisive nature of this fallacious historical ideology and the implications it would have on their vulnerable and illiterate followers in this country. This definitely tells one that if something concrete is not done to arrest this situation, we will wake up one day and find ourselves in an unending conflict ignited by these few clerics who it seems are less concerned about life values and our quest for national integration.
