President Tinubu, acting on Wike’s recommendation, named the road from Northern Parkway to the outer Northern expressway in Abuja after Soyinka, recognizing his contributions to literature and his role in elevating Nigeria’s global cultural standing.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced on Tuesday that the highway would now be called Professor Wole Soyinka Highway. President Tinubu emphasized that the honor was a fitting tribute to Soyinka’s lifelong pursuit of truth, freedom, and artistic excellence.

However, Wike’s order for the Permanent Secretaries to bow before the President sparked controversy. He justified the gesture by stating that these officials should be grateful to President Tinubu for their appointments, claiming they had previously lost hope of reaching the peak of their careers.

Wike said, “Most of them have never dreamt in their lives that they will ever get to the peak of their careers. That is very important; not just the infrastructure every day.”

He continued, “Both women and men, everyone; face here and take a bow before Mr. President; you are the lucky ones. Your Excellency, these are the first set of permanent secretaries that you made.”

Wike’s comments suggested that the Permanent Secretaries’ appointments were acts of benevolence from the President, rather than recognitions of their hard work and dedication.

This act received mixed reactions. Some Nigerians saw it as a joke, while others perceived it as an insult to the dignity of the Permanent Secretaries and the country. Wike’s subsequent order for six area council chairmen to bow before the President intensified the criticism.

Ray Mufti, a senior civil servant, argued that the Permanent Secretaries earned their positions through merit and long years of service, not because of presidential favoritism. He warned that Wike’s actions could undermine the esteem of senior civil servants.

On Arise TV’s Morning Show, Reuben Abati criticized Wike’s actions, asserting that the Permanent Secretaries achieved their positions through hard work. He humorously suggested that if Wike wanted to impress the President, he should have adhered to Yoruba customs, where men prostrate and women kneel.

Lagos-based legal practitioner Marcellus Onah stated he would refuse to bow if he were in the Permanent Secretaries’ position, emphasizing that such gestures should be reserved for God or, in a legal context, a judge.

Chidiebere Eze expressed disappointment in the Permanent Secretaries for complying with Wike’s directive, viewing it as a loss of respect and dignity. He condemned Wike’s apparent contempt and the spectacle of seasoned professionals engaging in what he described as “servile subservience.”

The incident has sparked a broader debate on the respect and autonomy of senior civil servants and the appropriateness of public displays of deference to political leaders.