Former Minister of Aviation and governance expert, Osita Chidoka, has called on Minister Nyesom Wike to apologise to a law enforcement officer subjected to abusive language, emphasizing that ministers must exercise authority through proper channels, not personal presence.

Chidoka, in a statement on his Facebook page on Tuesday, said any officer, in uniform or plain clothes, represents the President and the sovereignty of Nigeria. “To abuse such an officer is to diminish the authority of the Republic itself,” he noted.

He described Wike’s decision to personally enforce a directive at a disputed site as a “fundamental misstep.” According to Chidoka, in constitutional democracies, executive power operates through institutions, courts, and lawful instruments—not through confrontation or direct enforcement.

“In a democracy, ministers act through process, not presence,” Chidoka stated. He explained that a formal communication to the Minister of Defence, which oversees the Armed Forces, would have been sufficient to address any concerns. If the officers were on illegal duty, established disciplinary mechanisms could have resolved the matter.

Chidoka warned that trading words with uniformed officers acting under orders undermines discipline and confuses the chain of command. “The officer’s duty is to obey the chain of command, not verbal instructions on a roadside; the minister’s duty is to act through lawful channels,” he said.

He further criticized the conduct of the DSS protective detail, noting that their responsibility is to extract their principal safely from tense situations, not escalate conflicts. “Security officers must remember that their loyalty is to the state, not to personalities,” Chidoka added.

Describing the incident as a cautionary tale, he said, “This episode demeans the dignity of the office of the Minister and undermines the image of disciplined governance.”

Chidoka concluded that the minister should apologise to the officer for the misconduct, stressing that such behaviour is unacceptable. (Vanguard)