I struggle to reject the version of Nigeria as an abnormal country. But certain incidents in the country have continued to insistently and adamantly push this feeling. If Nigeria were a nation structured to function like a decent country, someone like Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Governor of Rivers state, should not be a leader.
But I am not surprised Nigeria is an assemblage of complacent and easily contented people. So, we celebrate vicious leaders simply because they bow to our favoured affinities. And no matter the aberrations’ they commit, we see them as flawless and faultless people.
So, it is not enough that characters like Wike are straddling the land, by we are compelled to call them our leaders. And so graciously and freely, they are polluting everywhere, with an odious aura of importance. And for the wrong reasons, destiny compels us to worship them.
Since I heard of Wike’s foray into partisan politics about two decades ago, his name has not been mentioned in pleasant circumstances’. Wike remains the only governor in the history of Nigeria to provoke protests in London. And it confounds that the protests were not for a populist cause in his state or Nigeria. They were spurred by Wike’s mischief.
The James Moore group, “UK Matters Most,” comprising hundreds of Britons marched to #10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace to converse with Queen Elizabeth II through an epistle as well as the Westminster Parliament in London to prevail on these top government officials to initiate action on Gov. Wike’s alleged $1 million bribe to the High Commissioner and consulate officials in the British High Commission in Nigeria.
And why were the British officials brought into public odium? Wike allegedly sought to compromise them in order to have the consulate officials manipulate observer mission report on the just concluded 2019 general elections in favour of him and his party, PDP.
And Moore and other Britons were incensed at Wike and the Consulate officials for willfully attempting to mislead the UK Government about the involvement of the military in elections in Nigeria. Britons were angered by Wike’s attempts to tarnish the integrity and reputation of Great Britain.
Apparently, sensing that he was losing the war on tainting the image of the Nigerian Army, the Wike told some officials of the British High Commission who came visiting that Gen. Sarham is plotting his assassination. But he had no shred of proof. If leaders like Wike are the only leaders we have in this country, then I am ashamed of my country.
Portrait of Wike in politics is unattractive. All his actions stink and are repulsive. But since we have misapplied the interpretation of democracy to crazy limits, people like Wike are still parading and flaunting themselves as leaders.
What legacy is Wike leaving in politics or Rivers state? It is the legacy of political thuggery, violence and killings in the name of politicking. I still recount vividly that in the build-up to the general elections, APC, the main opposition party in Rivers state lamented in several press statements about the silent elimination of its members. Now if PDP and Wike are not responsible for such criminality, should we believe APC silently eliminated its chieftains to blame PDP and the government of Wike?
We must learn to face reality and tell ourselves the truth. Wike’s prolonged battles to discredit the Nigerian Army has a history. If we remember, in the course of routine surveillance, sometime last year, soldiers of 6 Division, Nigerian Army busted an illegal militia training camp at Nonwa Gbam (NYSC Orientation Camp) in Tai Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers state.
Deputy Director, Army Public Relations , Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said in a statement that “The troops met over 100 recruits undergoing military-type of training.” Just imagine that massive number of trained and armed thugs are unleashed on River state, peace would have gone on permanent exile.
But Gov. Wike came out parroting and rejigging the narrative; he felt nothing denying it as militias. He proceeded to caricature soldiers over their Boko Haram counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast. No one can convince me Wike is normal.
Are you not surprised that Wike said the militia camp busted by soldiers in Tai was the training camp in Rivers state meant for “Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency Training Programme?” Whatever it means, only Gov. Wike knows. But safety corps should be given hard core military training in this volatile state and no security agency was involved. Yet, Wike thinks the rest of Rivers people are not wise enough to know? So, when you say this sort of person is my leader, it weighs me emotionally.
Gov. Wike should know we are not foolish. A governor cannot train and arm thugs, but turn around to shout everywhere of plots to assassinate him. These attack dogs Wike allegedly harbours will one day, find reason to revolt against him. It is childish and laughable to mouth that the Army or the federal government is after his life. Wike should learn some leadership decency. The leadership scamps he displays will not help him in the long run.
Egbo, a public affairs commentator, writes from Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, Rivers.
