Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has criticised Shehu Sani and Mike Ozekhome, SAN, a prominent Nigerian attorney, for their views on the current government.
At the Nigeria Annual Lecture and Gold Prize Award, 2024, held in Abuja to commemorate Nigeria’s 25 years of continuous democracy, Wike, Ozekhome, and Sani were gathered with dignitaries.
This year’s guest lecturer, Chief Ozekhome, infuriated the FCT Minister by reading his speech word for word without addressing the areas in which the nation had achieved some development over the previous 25 years.
Wike also took issue with Shehu Sani, a former federal senator, calling on President Bola Tinubu to take action and end the food crisis in Nigeria.
Wike criticised the two campaigners for their calls and questioned their morality.
Read Also: Rivers Crisis Escalates: Wike’s Allies Demand Fubara Own Up and Quit Blaming Others
Inquiring as to what Sani had accomplished during his lengthy tenure as a senator, he questioned Ozekhome about his record of turning down briefs.
Ozekhome was informed by him that the senior attorney had never turned down a case, not even one involving the legal defence of election riggers.
“Therefore, I indicated that I would bring this up with you and that you should inform my brother friend that just because you were activists doesn’t guarantee success.
“Activists have never succeeded. There have been instances of activists receiving appointments yet failing. What was your performance like in the Senate? How did we do in our capacity as senators?
Additionally, you mentioned that elections are being rigged. As an activist, how many times have you turned down briefs? You have even stood up for those who have corrupted elections.
Therefore, it is roughly every time we visit this place and postulate, postulate, postulate.
“First of all, we’re talking about 25 years of democracy,” he continued. Though I am aware of our difficulties, I had anticipated the instructor to acknowledge that we had made some progress.
“Not a single advancement was made during this entire lecture. It concerned criticism upon criticism. Are you saying that not a single advancement has been made in 25 years?
“Yes, you could argue that we’ve made this step, but we still need to keep going. Similar to how Shehu Sani described their incarceration, he did not state that no Nigerian has ever experienced this; that is progress.
“You mentioned FCT infrastructure here. Under whom is the FCT minister employed? Salutations, Mr. President. It implies that he is capable of identifying people who can assist him in relocating the nation.
