By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Nyesom Wike |
Abuja, Nigeria – In a drastic move, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has instituted a comprehensive ban on mobile phones for staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration. The directive, detailed in an internal memo, prohibits all officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below from bringing their phones into office premises, effective immediately.
This decision has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with many linking it directly to the recent viral circulation of a video showing the minister's heated altercation with a Naval officer.
The official memorandum, signed by AGIS Head Chijioke Nwankwoeze and obtained by news outlets, leaves no room for ambiguity. It explicitly states, “There shall be a ban on the use of mobile phones within the office premises for all officers on Salary Grade Level (SGL) 14 and below.”
The order further mandates that “affected staff are not permitted to enter the premises with their mobile phones henceforth.” This sweeping regulation impacts a significant portion of the workforce within these critical land administration departments, fundamentally altering their work environment.
Insiders within the FCTA administration have confirmed that the punitive measure was enacted barely 24 hours after videos of Minister Wike's confrontation at a disputed property in Abuja spread rapidly across social media and WhatsApp platforms.
Confidential sources revealed that the minister was "furious" upon learning that the clips had been widely shared among staff members, interpreting the act as a deliberate "sabotage" of his authority. The viral video depicted a tense exchange between Wike and the Naval officer, who was reportedly performing his lawful duty at the site.
The phone ban has been met with immediate and sharp condemnation from civil rights advocates and labour unions, who have labeled the policy as "draconian" and a regression to primitive governance.
A prominent labour activist, speaking to SaharaReporters, denounced the move, stating, “It’s absurd that in 2025, a minister would ban phones in a public agency because of a viral video. This is not leadership—it’s paranoia in power.” Critics argue that the ban not only infringes on employees' rights but also hampers operational efficiency and transparency in agencies vital to the capital's infrastructure.
Simultaneously, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has entered the fray, directing its criticism at the content of the viral video itself. In a strongly-worded statement signed by its President, Comrade Atiku Isah, NANS condemned Minister Wike for what it described as the verbal assault of a uniformed officer.
The student body praised the officer's "admirable restraint" during the encounter and issued a call to action, urging President Bola Tinubu to caution the FCT Minister. NANS declared that it “will not sit idly by while those who served the nation in uniform are disrespected,” signaling growing public pressure on the minister from multiple fronts.