By Ikeddy ISIGUZO
NYESOM Wike under-rates the purpose of power because he
cannot understand it. He is too far gone succeeding without qualms and minimal
scruples that he is another great example of how personal quests would increase
distractions in Nigeria's nebulous journey to nationhood.
Wike failed to unseat Governor Sim Fubara who he made
Governor. Wike cannot accept his growing unimportance because as Emperor of
Rivers State for so long; he believes he can pull the strings at his
please.
Power mongers like Wike believe people owe their existence
to them. The Almighty merely gets a mention to ingratiate prospective voters,
in case their belief would be a factor in where they vote or maintain
"correct" conversations. Wike expects things to grind to a halt until
he issues his imperial orders from Abuja. Rivers State is not a part of the
Federal Capital Territory, where Wike is a Minister but addresses himself as
Governor. He direly misses being Governor of Rivers State.
Stories out of Port Harcourt are that Wike was deciding what
Fubara did or did not do. If Wike was responsible for oxygen supplies, Fubara,
would have been begging for the next breath - exactly what Wike wanted.
How would fraternising with Wike's enemies be an impeachable
offence? It was couched as "behaviour incompatible with the Governor's
status". Did Wike supply a list of his enemies, likely to be on the
increase daily, to Fubara?
When Wike explains his disagreements with Fubara, the drivel
is beneath a lawyer of 25 years, a former local government Chairman, a former
Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, a former Minister of Education, and
one who was Governor for eight years.
Power, politics are purposed on serving the public. People
could make fame and fortune in power. Service to the people, improvement of
society's conditions, and creating a better future should occupy minds of
public office holders.
Resources are for the people. Office holders only manage
them on behalf of the public. Some like Wike get it twisted.
They play the victim when they affront the law, distort
common issues, elevate their base desires to law, and still assault public
expectations with confusion.
Wike in his own words, "Let me tell anybody who cares:
nobody can intimidate me, nobody. It doesn’t matter whether you go and bring
thugs on the road, it doesn’t matter whether you are Ijaw, if I want to do
something, I will do it. Impeachment is not a military coup; impeachment is
provided under the constitution.
“Nobody can take away our political structure, no one. You
cannot work and people begin to bring enemies, those who fought you when you
are struggling for the person to be in office, nobody does that.
“I am not a political ingrate, I am not — but don’t touch
the political structure of Rivers State. I will not shut my eyes. My conscience
is clear, nobody can rubbish me". He was complaining to PDP Governors who
were "pleading" with him.
It is all about Wike. Rivers State is Wike's private estate
where he is the law. His enemies approximate to enemies of the State. He deals
with them with state resources while he brags as if the resources were his.
What does Wike have? If Wike built his own structure why
should Fubara be forbidden to build one? What structure is so important that
public property could be destroyed for it?
Wike failed and will continue to stumble until he edits his
exaggerated importance. The support for Fubara who has been in office for only
five months should tell Wike that his time as Governor was over. Fubara is in
the saddle.
Had Wike been engaged in improving lives of residents of the
Federal Capital Territory, he would not have time to know who hobnobs with
Fubara.
Nobody believes Wike's claims that the wanton destruction of
public property was about Fubara's wrong choice of drinking partners. Fubara is
not Wike.
The issue is control of the resources of Rivers State, not
just the federal allocations but the political opportunities. Fubara is the
leader of PDP in Rivers State, not Wike.
Wike cannot live with that. Wike fancies himself as the
political leader of Rivers State, the unofficial leader of the All Progressives
Congress, APC. He is in mortal fear of losing Rivers State if Fubara negotiates
a personal entry to APC which could end Wike's nusiance value in Abuja and send
him into vast political wilderness.
What Wike calls "his political structure" is
varnishing. He knows Fubara can throw him out of office, relevance, and as the
former Accountant-General could make life uncomfortable for Wike if he wants.
Fubara has immunity. Wike is naked before the law. Wike
knows these but he is too full of himself. He does not understand that his
moves against Fubara amount to political suicide.
Rivers State could move to APC without Wike. The State is
tired of Wike and so are his supposed admirers in Abuja who would find no
further value in Wike.
He has delivered over 25 per cent of the votes APC needed in
the presidential election. How else is he useful?
If Fubara is so minded, he can execute an alliance with APC.
It would be a comprehensive solution to the ceaseless devaluation of Rivers
State that Wike has elected to be, forgetting that he is mere mortal, and that
on a day he least expects his political declivity could be completed.
Wike has fired the warning shot of his departure. Who would
miss him?
Finally...
GOVERNOR Hope Uzodinma of Imo State leaves no doubts about
his actions. While the police and his spokespersons denied knowledge of what
happened to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, joe Ajaero, Governor
Uzodinma said, "What has happened in this ugly coincidence is that the
National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress is from Imo State and has not
been able to demarcate the difference between being a national leader of an organisation
and then an interested party in local politics.” Ajaero was beaten for not
accepting that Uzodinma decides what is law, what are labour rights. The police
hierarchy was meeting in Owerri as Ajaero was battered. There are no suspects.
The Governor appears to have lent his immunity to louts. Too many people are
above the law. Lawlessness reign in that sphere.
PUBLIC property was destroyed in Port Harcourt and the
police looked away because they did not know who to support. They admitted
firing teargas and water canons on the Governor as they did not know he was
part of the "aggressive" crowd that headed towards the partially
burnt State House of Assembly. So much for police intelligence.
NIGERIAN lives ceased to matter long ago. No wonder that
there are no shocks about 80 bodies and skeletons found near a cattle market in
Abia State. The authorities are moved by power, budgets, elections, and
appointments. Our inhumanity is on the rise.
PROFESSOR Ben Nwabueze, distinguished law teacher, who was
involved in writing Constitutions of several countries, including Nigeria,
Kenya, and Zambia passed on 29 October 2023, aged 91. May the Almighty rest
him.
Comments:
Leave a Reply