I read the article for its caption: “Dare not touch me otherwise Nigeria will finish”. I am sure Governor Wike was filled with “Hennessy” when he opened his mouth so wide at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt. I am happy that the Governor is not claiming anything personal herein, in his statement, save that he is a “soldier of God”, he expects God to act at his command; and since talk is free and affordable, and God is a merciful God, Governor Wike is free to say whatsoever he designed to say. After all, so many Nigerian social mistakes claim being “men of God”, and because they so claim, mere men worship them as God unfortunately. This is the worship Wike seeks from mere Rivers men.
I challenge Ezebuwon Nyesom Wike, the man, that if President Buhari touches him by any means, and any how, nothing will happen in Rumukprikon, his village. Not even the entire people of Obio Akpor will raise a brow, except make some fruitless noise in the media, whether local or international. That he is the Chief Security Officer in Rivers State does not empower him to command the police nor the military: we know who has the powers to chiefly command the regimental units of government. Here is where I am confident that should he be touched by the Commander in Chief, nothing will happen in his homeland. It is still green on my mind how the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation was paraded openly in his helplessness on national television: his will be worse. Until it happens to him, he will not believe it. I pray he does not take President Buhari for granted: Buhari will not, as less, be abusive with his powers, but will be, as much, assertive with it if Wike offends the law. So his outburst is childish and unwarranted. It is mere politics seeking relevance. Nothing more, nothing less.
Governor Wike is good at politicking, majorly because he is a preemptive striker of political goals – he maybe carried away by his often offside goals and those from the “hand.of God”. He should rather be grateful and quiet. I admire him for that, like I admire Diego Maradona. He always knows how to get at what he targets but he must realize that he is just as much a man and vulnerable too, as an Almajiri, for whom he built schools that have been abandoned, while some lieutenants of his went home smiling to their bank accounts. I prepared the tender documents for his “boy” in Elimgbu but was not told when the job came. This was in 2013. I am sure the governor knows who I am talking about.
I am sure also that unless the APC changes its strategy and replaces Chibuike Rottimi Amaechi as their point man in Rivers State, the ruling party would only encourage the continuous rage and murder Nigerians have witnessed in that state in the recent past. I particularly hate politicians who speak from both sides of their mouths: Wike played politics with security in Rivers State during the last lapse of the Jonathan administration. He should be grateful that President Buhari is unlike Jonathan: otherwise the Rivers State Police Commissioner would be mounting roadblock and checking his car booth at the entrance gate of Government House Port Harcourt. That was what Mbu Joseph Mbu did with presidential directive to the then Governor Amaechi. So Wike is unqualified to talk about playing politics with security. He is the worst offender.
Let Governor Wike thank God that we are in a democracy and even an ant that looks like a human being can have his say and for which his right is fundamental and defensible. So let Wike stop insulting Mr President smartly, it is unacceptable. President Buhari is far older than him and far the most superior political office holder than himself. His imposed governorship on Rivers peoole should not make him mad. And if he is mad, there are several psychiatric hospitals that can take him in on admission to be treated and made well again.
I can see through what makes Governor Wike speaks like he is doing. Those who follow political trends in Rivers State can tell how the late John Waney should not have died if politicians from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government did not recruit and supplied the guns he used on their behalf. I am particularly interested in the truth that the Rivers State PDP Chairman is from that Local Government and the most feared individual there. I am sure that John Waney also feared Felix Obuah. How did that fear translate into a war the State government was interested about? And someone here is talking about playing politics with security. Let pepper find rest abeg.
If Wike is cleaverly telling Nigerians that he has raised an army to confront the Nigerian state when he is “touched”, its a thing he is capable of if he says so. On being appointed a junior Minister by the Jonathan administration, some of the first financially rewarding courtesy calls he made were to “Tompolo” and the “General” in Yeghe, General Solomon Gbenegbara, donating some salivating millions of Naira to them. How these men related to his assignment as Minister of State for Education is still lost to most Nigerians.
And to ask a simple question: why is Governor Wike preempting President Buhari’s touch? Has he committed anything for which he is anticipating the Presidential touch? Well, if he has, then he should he sure, like Dino Malaye is now, that it would not be President Buhari that would touch him, but some junior police officers, some of whom are lower in rank to his security aides that will touch him, and nothing will happen in Obio Akpor.
Political leaders in Nigeria must mind how they talk their politics, relating it to Mr President, because many Nigerians are very tired of their perambulations. Yes! We are tired and also ready to confront them because some of us know clearly that they are a million times much worst with applying governance than President Buhari. Wike has been in government at all levels since 1999: he has headed a Local Government Executive Council, he was a member of a State Executive Council and a member of the Federal Executive Council, a three tier opportunity: apart from fish-giving, how many of his people has he taught fishing? This is the question he needs to respond to.
Ini Akpan Morgan writes from Uyo via time.subsidaries@gmail.com
