- Odinkalu: “Wike, a Glutton Shouldn’t Lecture on Virtue..”
- Wike: “Which Prof? His Performance at NHRC was zero…”
By Abiola Olawale
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and a frontline Nigerian human rights lawyer and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, are currently locked in a fiery exchange over the state of the nation. This accusation and counter accusations escalated at the weekend with both calling each other inappropriate names.
Odinkalu, a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, United States is well known for criticising the policies and programs of the federal government. He is a well known international Human Rights Lawyer, Scholar and activist.
On Friday, In an obvious swipe at Odinkalu, Wike said the human rights lawyer did not have an exemplary record as the Chairman of NHRC when her served as helmsman.
Speaking at the unveiling of the N10 billion FCT Renewed Hope programme, where 80 vehicles were injected into the FCT transport system, Wike said: “Someone showed me a write-up they said was written by a professor. I asked him the professor of which university? Nobody knows.
“They were given opportunity in the Human Rights Commission. Ask them what was their performance. What was the record when the government allowed him to be there, Zero.”
In a swift response, Odinkalu, who took to his official X handle, countered Wike, saying he is not interested in “politics money”.
The well known human rights lawyer described Wike as a “greedy glutton,” stating that the Minister should not be giving lectures.
He tweeted: “In Abuja, @GovWike is flexing. He is a #LifeBencher inebriated on substance which may or may not be just power. He can buy whomever he wants with public money to do whatever he desires. But even that has a shelf-life. This idiocy will end one day too.
“One more thing, unlike @GovWike, I have a life outside messing about with the #PublicPurse. I left @NhrcNigeria 9 years ago & I have no interest or desire to maintain “structure” there. A greedy glutton has no business giving lectures on the virtues of being teetotal!”
