When Power Becomes Intoxication: A Cautionary Tale from Wike’s Encounter with Naval Officer Yerima

In what has sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was caught on camera berating a young Naval Lieutenant, A. M. Yerima, in a manner that reeked of arrogance and clear abuse of power. The incident has reignited national conversations about respect for uniformed officers and the growing culture of political impunity in public leadership.

Lieutenant Yerima is not just any young officer. He spent four grueling years at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), one of the toughest military institutions in Africa, before being commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant and later promoted to full Naval Lieutenant – the equivalent of a Captain in the Nigerian Army. He has likely gone through several other specialized and demanding courses that have shaped his sense of discipline, composure, and respect for the chain of command. Nigerian Navy.

The Calm That Exposed the Abuse of Power

What stood out in that viral video was not the verbal aggression of Wike, but the calm, respectful, yet firm posture of Lieutenant Yerima. Despite being publicly humiliated, the officer displayed a level of restraint that only years of training and character development could produce. In that moment, he represented the quiet strength of a man who understands authority but will not be broken by its misuse.

Such restraint deserves commendation. It was not a sign of weakness but of maturity – a lesson that those intoxicated by political power should learn. Yerima’s composure served as a mirror reflecting the rot of arrogance that too often characterizes public office in Nigeria. The video has since become a symbol of how dignity can triumph even under the shadow of an abuse of power.

When Arrogance Becomes the New Normal

This incident offers a cautionary tale for those who see themselves as thin gods because of the offices they occupy. Political power, like alcohol, can intoxicate the unguarded mind. The tragedy is that many in power mistake civility for weakness and interpret decorum as fear. But as history has shown, no office is eternal. The sirens fade, the escorts disappear, and what remains is the character of the man behind the title.

To call a serving officer “stupid” – especially one who has endured years of physical pain, mental toughness, and patriotic service – is not just an insult to the individual, but to the entire military establishment. If only those who wield political authority understood how the military system works, they would realize that such acts of contempt resonate far beyond the moment. In a community bound by honor and brotherhood, such disrespect places one in the silent “enmity book” of comrades who never forget an insult to one of their own.

Leadership, Discipline, and the Danger of Abuse of Power

True leadership is defined by restraint, empathy, and humility. It is not the loudness of one’s voice or the size of one’s convoy that commands respect, but the moral weight of one’s actions. The abuse of power corrodes the essence of governance and alienates the very citizens whose loyalty leaders depend upon. When power is wielded without decorum, it becomes a weapon – dangerous, destructive, and ultimately self-defeating.

Lieutenant Yerima’s poise under pressure reminds us of the values our leaders must emulate: discipline, patience, and respect for human dignity. It is time public officials understood that the Nigerian uniform, whether Navy, Army, Air Force, or Police, represents the disciplined spirit of the state – not an entity to be shouted down or humiliated for ego’s sake.

Someone’s Time May Be Up

Someone’s time may be up. Because the wheel of destiny turns slowly but surely. Those who mock discipline today may one day depend on it for their own redemption. Power is not a private property; it is a public trust that must be exercised with humility. The abuse of power only hastens the fall of those who confuse fear with respect and office with immortality.

In the end, every leader will stand alone, stripped of titles and flattery, to be judged not by how loudly they spoke, but by how fairly they led. Lieutenant Yerima’s calm dignity stands as a timeless lesson – that true power is silent, composed, and rooted in character, not chaos. GMTNewsng