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| Solomon Okocha |
“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” – John F. Kennedy
I have read with utter disgust, the recent press release by the Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor, Opunabo Inko Tariah, and I dare say that it is nothing but a hurriedly written blackmail letter. The statement not only smacks of the worst form of hypocrisy and lies, but it is also an affront on the corruptionless reputation of President Muhammadu Buhari.
For instance, the same Opunabo Inko Tariah who has been shouting everywhere and everyday that the Wike led government was going to probe only ‘eighteen’ months out of former Governor Amaechi’s eight years in office (ironically, Nyesom Wike was part of about six years that was exempted from the probe), is the same person that is now crying foul because President Buhari has decided to limit his probe to Jonathan’s administration?
The statement also tried unintelligently to throw muds at the reputations of former Governor Amaechi and President Buhari. On Amaechi, Opunabo made unprintable corruption allegations, without providing substantive evidence as backing. It is curious that a government which supposedly set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe a former governor and a free citizen of Nigeria, is the same government that is already passing judgement on that individual even before the said probe panel had commenced sitting, thereby denying former governor Amaechi of his right to fair hearing. This brings to question the integrity of such a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, when its convener is already conspicuously biased?
In an attempt to ambush President Buhari, Opunabo Inko Tariah attacked the very treasure that the President holds dear, he fingered the President’s clean reputation. Opunabo insisted that the President should also probe his years as head of PTF, if indeed he doesn’t have anything to hide.
What effrontery! Maybe Opunabo and his boss do not know that President Buhari stands on a tall pedestal of incorruptibility, which cannot be shaken by cheap propaganda and kindergarten tales. The man had already survived the worst kind of campaign in the history of Nigeria, so Wike’s attacks is nothing but water poured on the back of a duck.
Nyesom Wike’s Spokesman went ahead to incautiously accuse the President of using the DSS to witch hunt the Rivers INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Gesila Khan. And then I ask, since when did the Rivers State Government become the media arm of INEC? Why hasn’t INEC, which is a Federal establishment, protested in any single way, ever since the arrest and detention of her staff? Or is INEC without a spokesperson?
I urge Opunabo Inko Tariah and his principal to wake up from their obvious hibernation and face the inevitable wheel of justice that is now in their path, because no amount of dirty fighting or blackmail can subdue the wind of change that is now blowing through Rivers State.
Solomon Okocha, is the Publicity Secretary, Media Vanguards for Change, and he writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
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