The unfolding drama in that saintly South South state
governed by Amaechi, Wike, Mbu, Dame and by proxy GEJ is getting more
interesting day by day. It is taking different turns, carrying the battle tag of the "Rivers
Crisis" it has gone ballistic with rubber bullets and tear gas canisters adorning
the chest of men and the streets of Rivers state.
The state Commissioner of Police
(CP) Mbu, the man saddled with the sole responsibility of managing security in
the state under the command of the state Governor Amaechi has been accused of
partisan practices by almost everybody, including his supposed state boss
Amaechi, and everywhere is in a smoke of truth and lies where everybody seems
to be holy and blameless in the matter except GEJ. Perhaps you might wonder why
I exempted GEJ, it is simple, he's the only one that hasn't bothered to say
anything in self defense as far as I know.
All fingers are pointing at CP
Mbu and GEJ, so the CP as decided to come out and unmask the monsters, standing
blameless in his office by his own standards and judgement. According to Mbu:
1.
The governor doesn’t like him because he refuse
to fight his perceived political enemies.
2.
The Police did not shoot Senator Abbe because
according to him, the Rivers State command does not have rubber bullets, they
only have live bullets and tear gas.
In the interview he granted a few
days ago, he had this to say about Senator Abbe's attack
" We were informed that there would be rally, but no letter was written to us for permission. So I asked my men to take over the venue of the rally before that day. Senator Abbe met my CSP Operations at the venue and they were talking. Thugs were coming from the other side and my men had to release tear gas. The senator crossed the road and entered the church. Nobody shot Senator Abbe. He should show Nigerians the bullet wounds. The tear gas did not even touch him because he went into the church."
Then a few days later, in a video
interview at his office he confirmed the receipt of a letter from the Save
Rivers Group after the group came out with a signed and stamped copy of the
letter they submitted to the state Police command.
"They submitted their letter to our office and it was stamped and received by the officers in charge, that is normal protocol when any letter is sent here but I didn't receive the letter directly, that is not my duty."
And he went ahead to produce the letter from his
desk to show the newsmen. Please notice the words, phrases and sentences I underlined.
The Rivers State Police Command
is the responsibility of Mbu, and he is answerable for the action of his office
and men. At first he claimed there was no letter, but later he conceded to
receiving and stamping a letter, and finally twisted it that it was not his
duty to receive letters directly although his office received the document. Permit
me to exonerate this great public servant who didn't know a letter was on his
desk but was quick to mobilize his men to go take over the venue of a rally,
harass civilians and disband a lawful gathering of Nigerians instead protecting
the rallying citizens from harm. According
to his account, "Nobody shot Abbe," his men only fired tear gas at
the thugs they saw on the other side. Thugs who probably had guns and presumably
shot the senator when he was crossing the road to enter the church. I am more
amazed than even CP Mbu at the sterling action and performance of his men. When
did men of the Nigerian Police become so civilized that they were throwing "Tear
Gas" at gun wielding thugs, policemen that will naturally shoot even harmless
citizen at the slightest provocation now suddenly realize that they must be
cautious, after they had already disbanded a rally that was legally assembled.
The most surprising part of his testimony is the claim that the tear gas did
not touch Senator. Mbu, as if the gas is "Akamu" that scatters on the
floor and stays down when it is shot in any direction. Here is one of such
tear-gassing spree CP Mbu personally led.
Indeed, this officer and his men
are blameless and should be left in peace.
Far beyond his unconstitutional actions
that he believes were right and probably in the best interest of the people of
Rivers State as against the perception that it is in support of GEJ,PDP and
other federal mercenaries that are perceived to be engineering him against
Amaechi and APC, I feel the exodus of this gradually degenerating situation
arrived with the tussle and friction between Mbu and his Governor on his
arrival in the State. I once sojourned in Rivers in 2007, an election year, and
I couldn't wait to get out of it. I stayed in Delta State too in 2003, a more
volatile time and environment in Warri but filled with more accommodating
people and I never wanted to leave. The people of this neighbouring states are
as different as chalk and cheese and the level of contempt of an average
Riverian is alarming, nauseating and very provocative, especially in the rank
of superiority complex, pride and sense of duty, and I have only seen worst
scenario of contempt in some part of northern Nigeria, although they are more
accommodating when compared to the people of Rivers, all of this in my own
opinion. I totally agree Mbu was treated the way he claimed he was by Amaechi
because he obviously wasn't the bowing down, favour seeking type of CP, I have
seen worst behaviour in the ordinary citizens of Rivers, and his claim of a
cordial relationship with Ajimobi of Oyo State is only a proof of the minute sanity
existing in some APC setup when compared to the confirmed tyranny of the PDP
system from, starting the top to the bottom. However, CP Mbu retaliation
attempt does not justify his joining camp with the big boss GEJ to frustrate
democracy in Rivers State, rather he should suggest to GEJ to put Amaechi on
the list and not the whole state in jeopardy in the name of "Order
From Above" from "Oga At The Top". Now APC had
enough goats to tame in her shed, it has now "Ko eran mo ero", I just
hope APC have a lead on how to tame the mad PDP dogs that had jumped into its
camp, or perhaps a leach for them, only time will tell.
Amaechi is definitely a power
drunk politician in the middle of a tussle with higher powers, and CP Mbu
probably an intimidated power wielding Police Officer, throwing below belt
punches because he's got orders to do so, and his quietly enjoying it because
he thought the umpires are looking away, or perhaps he's forgotten that the
umpires are no longer the men in Abuja, but the people of Rivers State, and
Nigerians as a whole. One thing is certain now that the "die is cast",
somebody will be sacrificed on the altar of this political hypocrisy. Now we
know the blameless CP is not blameless at all after confessing he ordered his
men to take over the venue of a rally after his office has been duly informed,
and gave a legal ratification, offering to protect the gathering, amongst other
interference and infringement on the rights of the people. The holy Amaechi is
also definitely not a saint by allowing his personal feeling to becloud is
sense of judgement and duty as a governor, up to the point of allegedly offering
the CP the offer of contracts aka bribes (as accused by the CP) if he will bend
to his will instead of representing the interest of the State and her people. Senator
Abbe has received the first shot and is supposedly "ritenuto" in the pain
of the plastic bullet wound. He'd sent a lengthy letter to his colleagues at
the senate of his own account of the "12th of January Shooting", let'
see who gets shot in return for it.
Here are some links to wet your
lips
I am Abidemi Babaolowo Oderinlo
iThink, iWrite and iActOnIt
Twitter:
@enyola
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