“Indeed, political friends/opponents that politicians themselves say are never permanent should never be used to distort history. Where that happens, the collateral damage is on innocent citizens. This is why Rivers elders must wake-up today to the reality of ending the feud that is quietly stealing societal development in their clime”.
BY TONNIE IREDIA
The story of the moment filtering into the Nigerian landscape from Rivers State concerning quarrels between a political godfather and his godson is not new. It is making waves because many Nigerians remember very little of past events. In Akwa Ibom State not long ago, did we not see the trait in an uncommon manner in the relationship between Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel? Of course, we heard much about Musa Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Ganduje in Kano, Peter Obi and Willie Obiano in Anambra, Ahmad Yerima and Mahmud Shinkafi in Zamfara, Bola Tinubu and Akinwumi Ambode in Lagos, Adams Oshiomhole and Godwin Obaseki in Edo etc. A keen watcher of Nigeria’s political climate can therefore predict with some good measure of accuracy that many more disagreements will happen hereafter in different states.
Also not new is the concept of a minority governor relating with majority legislators. While in some areas, a governor can get impeached in the process, some other governors are smart enough to convert a few opposition legislators to his own political party thereby decapitating the viability of his opponents. Thus, whatever happens to either governor Sim Fubara or some of his legislators will neither be new nor original because the template is located in a special app in every politician’s gsm. But perhaps a sharp aspect of Fubara’s predicament is that it is other people, notably the father of the nation and not Rivers elders that are behind the peace moves to bring down the barometer. Unfortunately, it is like the peace of the graveyard, featuring unequal battle ground and dissimilar weapons. For example, many who claim to be helping the governor are exploring the legal option for a man who says he is committed to peace through a political solution.
In such a scenario, in which those purportedly helping the governor and the governor that is being helped are not on the same page what positive results can come out of a lack of unity of direction other than discordant tunes? Bearing in mind that elders are best positioned to champion a peace process, in a community because as our people say, the words of elders are the words of wisdom, where are the elders of Rivers state? Someone must tell them that the continued feud between their two children reflects a failure of elders because if one or two people are mad in a family, the entire family cannot just become mad. Rather, those who are sane have a duty to restrain a few individuals in the family that are going astray.
Other groups have their own roles to play; those telling the governor to insist on his legal right need to know that too many strange things have since happened. A man committed to peace follows what brings peace rather than what brings victory knowing full well that peace is the best foundation for progress. Lack of it means lack of concentration on any goal. Those supposedly on the side of minister Nyesom Wike should note that they have since made governor Fubara look like the oppressed because irrespective of any possible rascality on his part behind closed door, his continued public affirmation of Wike as ‘my oga’ is instructive. It is time for the elders to get the oga to appreciate that, an erring son need not be disowned but corrected and consolidated.
One side that looks unrelenting in belligerence in the crisis is the one made up of legislators. They have just exercised their power of veto over bills not signed by the governor – a trend that is correct but rare in Nigeria where legislators especially at state level are like errand boys. Meanwhile no one really knows how the feud would end. So much has been said about the power of the majority and the possibility of their having their way. But very little is said about how posterity would view a group of lawmakers who in breach of law decamped from one party to another. In another clime where democratic tenets are institutionalized, the said majority would have first perfected a major break in their political party before a legally accepted defection is effected?
In Nigeria, legislators are the same across board, they like to be pampered, to be paid inexplicable salaries and allowances, to extract huge gains from oversight and generally to be unaccountable. Rivers state legislators are not Italians or some foreign cultured people, they are typical Nigerians irrespective of state of origin. Notwithstanding their acclaimed unalloyed loyalty to Nyesom Wike, some colouration can be brought to bear if Governor Fubara extends to them the popular stomach infrastructure; not the normal type originated by Ekiti’s Ayo Fayose. Fubara’s peace moves will swing faster than he can imagine if he employs massive stomach infrastructure that surpasses SUVs plus N2million token transportation each holiday/recess along with solemn prayers by their speaker using the melodious tune of the nation’s number one legislator.
In the crisis at hand, there are many citizens to watch, the first being the group fishing in the rivers of conflict. Their stock in trade is to engage in intemperate language that can exacerbate crisis. While some have subsisting grudges against former governor Wike others want to prove loyalty to the new Governor Fubara. The other day one of them said on television that Wike’s performance in Rivers state was mere window-dressing. If a man who commissioned projects daily for several months can be so described, many Nigerians must certainly be praying for their states to have such a window-dresser applauded by even his political opponents. In fairness though, pulling leaders down has become a trait of character of politicians especially those seeking to contest elections. For 7 years, a governor is often eulogised here and there but in the 8th year, competitors would dismiss all we heard before. Why can’t politicians be realistic enough to say they would massively improve on what the last actor did?
In the case of crisis infested locations, the condemnation narrative should not be encouraged at all because it can push peace far away as well as dissuade unity. If not promptly addressed, posterity will be confused as to who did what, where, when and how in society. Yet, developing the state and improving the living standards of the people are the hallmarks of democracy. Indeed, political friends/opponents that politicians themselves say are never permanent should never be used to distort history. Where that happens, the collateral damage is on innocent citizens. This is why Rivers elders must wake-up today to the reality of ending the feud that is quietly stealing societal development in their clime. Otherwise, in the midst of crisis, Governor Fubara may only struggle to do a bit; yet, if impeached anything can happen.
The same is true of minister Wike, first ambassador of Rivers extraction to be mandated to manage the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). No doubt, he too would be unable to set a standard at the FCT that citizens would use to judge others. In which case, if distracted by happenings at home, minister Wike, may lose the title of Mr. Project and other accolades. The call on Rivers elders to act is particularly significant because the state has many great leaders. In times past, people spoke glowingly of the Odili political family which had the patriarch, Sir Peter Odili as governor from 1999 to 2007. He is hale and hearty and capable of using his unfettered charisma to call all sides to order. This he has to do not only for the sake of the feuding parties but for the overall benefits of all Rivers citizens
Even in nearby Bayelsa State, elders have a similar duty not to use nonchalance to involuntarily subvert the rare chance of an Ijaw son from shinning in Government House, Port Harcourt. Odili was governor for 8 years, Rotimi Amaechi who came next also spent 8 years just as Wike did. Should supporters of Fubara particularly his fellow Ijaws allow his own tenure to end in 8 months? Here, former president Goodluck Jonathan stands out for the intervention of a statesman. He must rally all his kinsmen and women to show interest in the Wike/Fubara crisis and markedly bring it to an end through a solemn process that is transparently fair to all.
January 28, 2024
