By Vitus Ozoke, PhD
They say courage is forged in the fire of adversity and that heroes stand tall because of discipline, training, and duty. Yet, the truth is often more straightforward – the spark of bravery doesn’t require uniform or valor, just a moral foundation that refuses to accept shame. In the recent viral video of Nyesom Wike hurling rhetorical venom at Lt. A.M. Yerima of the Nigerian Navy, what stands out is not the officer’s military bearing but the moral void his opponent so openly displayed.
Let’s be honest: Lt. Yerima’s bravery didn’t come from naval training, saluting flags, or wearing fatigues. It stemmed from a far humbler, more universal source: his refusal to be intimidated by arrogance, drunken bravado, and the casual belief that corruption is a birthright. Wike was the spark. His arrogance became the moral mirror in which Yerima saw himself, showing him his own value. His actions served as a call to stand out, stand tall, and stand firm – apologies and credit to the Nigerian Bar Association for the rhetorical rights of those catchphrases that this young naval officer has finally operationalized in bravery.
Make no mistake: Nyesom Wike has built a reputation not only as loud, obnoxious, and domineering, but also as a man whose record invites scrutiny: inflated contracts, state indebtedness, property seizures, and the accumulation of assets without full public accounting. One recent exposé alleges that Wike and his wife acquired three luxury lakeside homes in Florida, worth over US $6 million, using cash transactions and quitclaim deeds, later transferring them to their children – a move described by anti-corruption activists as a textbook case of corrupt money laundering.
Beyond the U.S. property trail, Wike’s land-grabbing in Abuja is just as concerning. Reports indicate he allocated about 1,740 hectares to one son and 2,082 hectares to another – tens of thousands of plots – while serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Asset-declaration rules be damned. Wike is accused of not declaring foreign properties, violating the Fifth Schedule.
And then there’s the alcohol. Yes, the alcohol: Former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, alleged that Wike spends ₦50 million each week on alcohol – and that “when Wike talks, it is alcohol talking.” Wike himself, in a moment of unintended candor, admitted to sipping a 40-year-old whiskey while others – his own party members – were protesting on TV at mid-morning.
So, ask yourself: What source of ‘courage’ allows a bloody civilian – under the influence – to call a naval officer a “fool, a big fool”? The answer: not discipline. Not integrity. Not moral backbone. It is the reckless confidence of someone who believes the rules don’t apply to him. Only alcohol can embolden the goat to challenge the tiger, the civilian to belittle the soldier, the corrupt to dismiss the principled. The real foolishness is not realizing when you are attempting suicide — morally, professionally, or reputationally.
Why does this matter? Why does it matter for every Nigerian? Here’s the key: Wike’s arrogance is not just rhetorical theatrics. It exemplifies something much more harmful: the belief that power grants you permission, the idea that people with titles can act arrogantly. When a junior naval officer is told “you are in primary school” at the time the speaker graduated, it isn’t just an insult – it’s a mindset: I am above you, I am unchallengeable.
And that mindset is what sparked Lt. Yerima’s bravery – not the fact that he wore naval stripes, but that he looked his superior in the eyes and said no more. He drew from a moral foundation: a refusal to accept being belittled, a distaste for the arrogance of recycled power, and a refusal to stay quiet while the few dominate the many. You don’t need military drills for that. You simply need to have a conscience.
Lt. Yerima’s remark, “I’m an officer. I have integrity,” reminds me of that powerful Lt. Daniel Kaffee’s (Tom Cruise) line in the iconic movie, A Few Good Men: “I am a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy, and you are under arrest, you son of a bitch.” It landed with the precision of a well-aimed strike. It wasn’t just a statement; it was a moral contrast, a subtle but devastating rebuke wrapped in discipline and dignity. In that moment, Yerima invoked the weight of honor, something that transcends rank or politics. The fact that Wike could neither refute the claim nor match it with a similar assertion spoke volumes. It exposed, without saying so outright, the credibility gap between a man bound by the code of service and another long steeped in the theater of political maneuvering. It was a mic-drop moment, not because it was loud, but because it was true.
Furthermore, the contrast couldn’t be starker: Lt. Yerima’s courage stems from a background that is distasteful of alcoholism, arrogance, and corruption. Wike’s ‘courage’, on the other hand, came from the very things every Nigerian must reject – billions quietly diverted, land allocations to sons, mansions abroad, and a swagger rooted in drunken bravado.
Consider the implication: every Nigerian – yes, every one – can summon that kind of courage. You don’t have to have fired a gun, floated in a warship, or saluted a flag. You simply need to say: “I am not small,” “I will not be intimidated,” and “I stand for something.” And when the foes of integrity and humility parade themselves, when Wike embodies that swagger, you can rise, not because you wear a uniform, but because you wear a backbone.
There’s a delicious irony here. Wike, who scolds, belittles, and wields power like a club, becomes the unwitting benefactor of Yerima’s bravery. His arrogance fuels the other person’s dignity. His corruption-shadowed legacy becomes the backdrop for someone else’s moral clarity. This brings me to the lesson: don’t just look at the hero. Look also at the villain. Because sometimes, the villain does half the heroic work. The courage you’re seeing isn’t just about the officer; it’s about the system, the culture, and the casual cruelty of those in charge. And that system can be challenged by something much more accessible than a ballistic vest.
Lest we forget, this obsession with power is not exclusive to Emperor Nyesom Wike. A troubling pattern is emerging among certain figures in authority – a mix of arrogance, entitlement, and thinly veiled disdain for accountability, especially when it comes from younger Nigerians or the independent press. Nyesom Wike’s habitual condescension, often shown in his sneering dismissal of critics and his belittling tone toward Nigerian youth, reflects the same authoritarian reflex seen in Engr. Dave Ụmahi’s recent exchange with Arise TV’s Rufai Oseni. When faced with probing questions, both men reacted not with the composure expected of public officials, but with irritation that anyone would dare question their authority.
This pattern reveals something deeper than individual temperament – it shows a culture of impunity that sees scrutiny as disrespect and public office as a personal fiefdom. Instead of engaging with substance, these men resort to intimidation, forgetting that leadership in a democracy calls for humility and transparency. Their reactions betray a discomfort with accountability and a fear of losing control over the narrative. What we are witnessing, then, is not just arrogance – it’s the old guard pushing back against a generation that refuses to be silenced.
Dr. Vitus Ozoke is a lawyer, human rights activist, and public affairs analyst based in the United States. He writes on politics, governance, and the moral costs of leadership failure in Africa.
