Do you know who I am? By Folorunso Adisa

I just watched a short clip that was rowdy, unsettling, and deeply unprofessional. In it, the FCT Minister had led officials of the Federal Capital Territory Development Association (FCDA) to a land in Gaduwa, Abuja where some soldiers stopped them from entering the place.

While he was addressing the group of soldiers preventing their entry, the situation quickly spiralled into a verbal, and almost physical, confrontation. Members of his security detail nearly exchanged blows with the soldiers. Three things stood out.

First, Nigerians have an unhealthy fascination with power play. The infamous phrases “Do you know who I am?” and “Who are you?” were recklessly hurled back and forth, each side trying to intimidate and silence the other. These expressions have become the language of everyday oppression, a tragic symbol of how hierarchy defines our interactions.

Second, the senior officer among the soldiers showed commendable restraint. Despite being provoked by members of the minister’s team, some of whom were clearly junior to him in rank, as the soldier mentioned, he maintained his composure and insisted on respect. His calm response under pressure speaks the salient truth that true authority does not shout, it stands firm.

Third, the minister crossed a line. He used unprintable words on the soldier who had simply stated that he was acting on orders. The officer, dignified and measured, replied, “I’m not a fool, sir.” But the minister kept barking commands: “Shut up!” and “You’ll put yourself in trouble!” It was an ungentlemanly display and an abuse of tone and position.

This incident, beyond the noise, exposes our national deficit in discursive and crisis communication. We seem to lack the skill to engage without rage, to talk without tearing down. If tempers had flared a moment longer, that encounter could easily have ended in violence.

Yes, Nigerians have long endured brutality from uniformed men who prey on ordinary citizens. But watching a public official now trade hostility with the same force meant to enforce order (they might be wrong party in terms of presence and the property in discourse, though) is nothing to celebrate. Two wrongs do not affirm justice. They only confirm how deeply disorder has entered our national character.

Most of us need to learn to wield power with restraint and communicate with respect. The distance between authority and chaos is dangerously thin!