THAT a war of attrition is tearing apart a once thriving, once promising, once peaceful Port Harcourt is heart rending enough. But, the statement credited to the governor of Rivers state, Dr Peter Oodili to the effect that the cult war that has raped the city is sponsored by governors of neighbouring states is stranger than fiction.
Really, the assertion should provoke more questions which the terse assertion could not answer but which the governor must respond to. Even if the governor could not be expected to name the culprits, he should try to convince us that there are people in high political offices who would not mind setting fire to the edifice.
Why, in Odili’s view, did the governors decide to sponsor violence in Rivers State? What are the motives? Did the said governors act jointly or severally? How did the Rivers State governor stumble on this fact or was it unearthed by the security agencies? Beyond spilling the beans to the public, what has he done with the valued information?
The cash dispensing machine of Port Harcourt should consider holding anther public forum where, in addressing the head ache caused in the state, he could respond to these questions.
But, on the other hand, why would an Odili make such grave allegations without substance? What does he stand to gain from alleging that his colleagues in the Peoples Democratic Party and the South South leaders might be after the peace of his capital city? If the allegation is true, the security agencies owe the people of this country a duty by getting to the roots of the matter.
But even if it is unfounded, it calls for serious investigation by the PDP as it shows that the relationship between governors of the area is far from smooth. And, in view of our recent experience and the money available to governors of the Oil Basin of Nigeria, assassination might be embraced as the ultimate solution. Before that happens, all concerned should rise up to their various possibilities. The possible motives must be explored.
It would be recalled that only recently, governors of the South South zone publicly and bitterly disagreed over the choice of a national Vice Chairman. While the governor of Rivers State was solidly behind Mr Godspower Ake, others would not hear of the suggestion.
The governor of Cross River State chose to sit on the fence on the matter. With the backing of Chief Tony Anenih, President Obasanjo’s man Friday, the scale was tilted in favour of the minority in the matter. That action continues to generate ripples.
There are also suggestions that the other governors of the region are not too comfortable with Odili’s mode of throwing cash at situations. When he is not making a show at a chieftaincy title installation in Ile Ife, he is in Lagos stealing the centre stage at a fund raising ceremony.
Very recently, he was at another fund raising ceremony for completion of the long abandoned Christian Ecumenical Centre. At all the functions, he dazzled everybody as he generously gave out as if the naira would soon get out of fashion or would cease to be Nigeria’s legal tender. This is believed to be causing disquiet in the camp of the South South and some South East governors.
Again, the question remains, why should any governor or any other person for that matter be bothered how Odili chooses to spend the money accruing to his state if his people are not complaining? The likely answer is simple: 2007. Inordinate ambition is the cancer eating up our public office holders. Those who have been fortunate enough to have won the mandate of more than a 100 million compatriots want to hold on to public office and since the governors are in the last lap of their tenures at the state level, they have their eyes on higher offices. This is the problem. Where they are not eyeing the presidency directly, they want the vice presidency.
It is a shame that the governors can descend to the abyss and seek to fight it out in the jungle. It is a symptom of the same disease ravaging the land. Someone should tell the governors to concentrate on providing premium leadership for now. Perhaps they are still carried away with the manner they succeeded in negotiating their return to office in 2003 and think there would be no problem achieving their desires in 2007.
This is where the people come in. The civil society cannot afford to leave things as they are until formal campaign starts in 2006. Now is the time to canvass an alternative. Conscious elements in the society should begin now to mobilise the masses to oppose all wrong moves. The price for liberty remains eternal vigilance.
WITH the latest “revelations” about the erstwhile governor of good old Plateau state, it appears that the fate of Mr Dariye is sealed. At least as far as man can see. The governor, on his way to Korea for spiritual retreat chose to go through London perhaps to pick up some fund. Unknown to him, the Metropolitan Police was already waiting for him. Since immunity is a concept recognised only in Nigeria, he was easily nabbed, according to the story, and invited for questioning. Since then, his aides have been having a hell of a time interpreting what really happened.
According to them, Governor (or is it former governor) Dariye was not arrested. He was merely invited to help the British Police in their investigation of a case of money laundering involving him.
According to the governor’s aides, it was a routine thing as accusations are free and there might be no substance to it after all. According to Dariye’s loyal lieutenants, the fact that he was not detained and was actually allowed to proceed to Korea was an indication that nothing serious could be established against him.
At the same time, security forces in Nigeria have insisted that the former Plateau helmsman had looted the treasury and the British Police had solid evidence of this.
According to the story, Dariye was caught with a cash of 80,000 Pounds Sterling and allegedly had 2 Million Pounds in his London accounts.
He was only allowed to go in order to get to the roots of the matter especially with the cooperation of the Nigerian Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
To the British Police, Dariye would have no hiding place even if he opted to escape. There are of course questions begging for answer. If indeed as the Nigerian security forces have insisted through some public information outlets Dariye had been arrested in London, who bailed him? At what point were the Nigerian security forces informed and why did they rush to the press with the information?
One thing appears obvious from the travails of Citizen Dariye, he is a victim of high wire politics. Some forces in Plateau would do everything to prevent him from returning to office.
They know that his return would spell doom for their own political aspiration. In this, they are lucky to have a listening ear in Mr President who did a damning report on the governor and released it to the public in the nation wide broadcast announcing the declaration of a state of emergency in May.
I will be the last person to take sides with anyone found to have dipped his hands in the public till. If indeed Mr Dariye is guilty of stashing away public funds in the United Kingdom at a time he refused to pay the legitimate wages of state workers during his first term, he would be deserving of any punishment visited on him.
However, the manner in which the latest efforts at caging him was handled suggests that there is more to it that meets the eyes. No one should accept the use of an on going investigations to prevent the return of Dariye to office. He must be proven guilty and convicted by a competent court of law anywhere to earn a reprimand.
In addition, if President Obasanjo and the new Plateau godfather is to be taken seriously, they should extend the same treatment (the beaming of torchlight) to other public functionaries.
Selective use of the law can only suggest sinister motives. More so when the godfather himself is not known to have regards for ethics.
