Ezem Warns Gumi Against Antagonising Wike

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The controversial Muslim cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi has been warned to stop his vitriolic attacks on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The President/CEO of Cosmo Base Consortium Ltd., Rev. Benson Ezem handed down the warning while reacting to the call for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack Wike.

Gumi had in a viral video questioned the appointment of Wike as FCT Minister and called for his removal and replacement with a Muslim from the North, claiming that the FCT is their enclave.

But Ezem in a chat with THISDAY vehemently condemned the “misguided vituperation” by the Muslim cleric, saying that it constituted a threat to the status of Abuja as the federal capital territory.

He also stated that the peace and unity of the nation would remain in jeopardy if people like Gumi fail to disabuse their minds of a sense of entitlement and ownership of the FCT.

“These divisive elements and merchants of religious and ethnic disharmony should not be allowed to have their way, else they would continue to constitute a clog to the quest for attainment of nationhood.”

Ezem noted that over the years the appointment of FCT ministers had been skewed in favour of the northern Muslims thereby giving people like Gumi the false belief that other Nigerians have no stake in Abuja.

He said: “It is important that people should know and understand the status of Abuja so that nobody should think that the FCT is the exclusive preserve of the North or any part of the country.

“The FCT was created upon the promulgation of Decree Number 6 of 1976(now an Act) to serve as Nigeria’s capital hence every Nigerian has equal stake and is qualified to be appointed FCT minister.

Ezem, who is a renowned architect and expert in infrastructure development, said that Mr. President did not make a mistake in Wike’s appointment to preside over the affairs of Abuja given the track records of the former Rivers State governor.

“Wike has the energy, zeal and political will to get things done. He will sanitise the FCT and restore its masterplan, which has continued to be abused,” he said.

A consistent advocate for true federalism, Ezem reiterated his call for Nigeria to retrace its steps to “the good old days” when federalism was practiced in its pure form and the federating units were engaged in healthy rivalry for development.

He said that it was wrong for people to think that any component section of Nigeria would not survive should the country revert to true federalism, adding that mineral resources, including oil, are now found in other areas.

“Nigeria will be better for it if the nation is run as a federation with each of the federation units (regions or states) charting its own course. of development without any encumbrances,” Ezem said.