By Mideno Bayagbon
Just when we thought Nigeria has reached the very bottom, the nadir of political perfidy, of gross governmental incompetence of the lowest low, Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers state and Yahaya Bello of Kogi spring new brands of political rascality on the land. And it is all so annoying.
Let’s start with the garrulous and seemingly power drunk Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike, Governor of Rivers state.
True, we have been treated to his theatrics, lack of decorum, lack of respect for any and everybody; true, we have all been witnesses to his obsession with power as an absolute, acting like a motor park tout attempting to Lord his ego over his gang of felons. But he is a lawyer, a man on whom fate has been very kind. From being a Local government chairman, to joining In the fight that brought Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi as Governor, to being Chief of Staff, Minister, and in the last five years, Governor, Wike has surprisingly epitomised the worst of our politics.
Parading an elephantine ego, and a half digested messianic complex, Governor Wike in an attempt to completely dominate Rivers state politics, has constituted himself into a public threat. His most recent, brash actions are examples. What makes a Governor think he has the constitutional right to abrogate the laws of the land, the fundamental rights of the citizens and trample on their lives and properties with such reckless impunity? Where does Wike get the power to destroy the properties of Rivers state citizens because of a perceived breach of COVID19 lockdown in the state?
Even if for arguments sake, we agree that the owners of the two hotels, destroyed by Wike on Sunday, breached the lockdown rules, and if we even also assume that there is a state law, unknown to the public somewhere, to back up his actions, did such a law, which is definitely at variance with the constitution, also empower him to constitute himself into the accuser, the judge and the executor, summarily?
In a broadcast yesterday, Governor Wike, said the following as justifications for his ill advised actions:
“We acted against the hotelier because, apart from using the facility to jeopardise the lives of our citizens in violation of the extant law, the owner audaciously unleashed thugs led by the Eleme Local Government Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and inflicted severe injuries on our task force members who went to enforce the law against the continued operation of the hotel. As we speak, nobody knows the fate of the lives of most of the victims of that brazen and deadly attack given the severity of the head injuries they sustained.
And so, we have done no wrong as all our actions were taken in good faith and justified by, under and within the purview of the Executive Orders which have neither been challenged nor set aside by any competent court of law.”
The question he failed to answer, however is, is an executive order superior to the constitution of the land, and or to the fundamental human rights of the citizens?
Among the many voices which have come out to condemn the condemnable action of the governor, my friend and former colleague, Richard Akinnola paints a lucid picture of the many infractions of the demi-god of Port Harcourt. They include, but definitely are not limited to:
• the demolition of hotels;
• Threat to auction impounded vehicles that violated the lockdown;
• Publicly insulting senior Rivers state traditional rulers;
• Talking to PDP party leaders like a headmaster talking to pupils;
• Insulting and fighting every Commissioner of police posted to the state;
• Insulting and fighting military commanders posted to the state.
• Personally effecting arrest of Carverton helicopter pilots and getting a Magistrate court to remand them in prison.
• Etc.
Not a few people agree with Richard when he concludes that Governor Nyesom Wike is
• crude, rude, saucy, indecorous and abrasive.
• That he is so inebriated with power that is transient.
• That he is deluded that he is a law unto yourself.
• That he conducts himself like an “agbero”, with no finesse.
• He is a senior lawyer, in fact, a life Bencher and his wife is a judge. But these have not reflected in his public conducts.
Shame!!!
Among the deluge of other condemnations poured on the governor, Femi Falana, SAN, sums them up thus: “It is unfortunate that these events are happening in Port Harcourt where the Governor of the state is a senior lawyer and not just a lawyer, l am even informed that he is a member of the Body of Benchers; that is an embarrassment. A colossal embarrassment to the Nigerian Bar Association.
“Under our law, an emergency situation under the Quarantine Act (1926) does not permit the demolition of a house of an alleged offender. Whoever has breached the law will have to be tried and convicted by a Court of Law before a sentence can be pronounced.
“There is no provision for even the President to take the law into his hands and then begin to mete out punishments to citizens without recourse to the constitution. We hope the Governor will be properly advised to reverse his decisions, publicly apologise and restore the properties of those that have been destroyed. Everyone will have to go through a judicial process. That is what the rule of law is all about…
“The right to property, fair hearing and liberty are constitutional rights. No governor has the power to dismiss these rights under the pretext of enforcing the COVID19 regulations.”
Nothing more to add, except to remind Governor Wike not to forget that power is transient, that his tenure is not in perpetuity, that come 2023, he will be out of that office and become the ordinary, powerless, feet of clay Rivers state citizen that he is. l suspect history will be harsh on this governor.
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THE GADFLY AT KOGI GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Also toeing the path of perfidy and odium, like Nyesom Wike, is a young man fate sprung from the backwaters of Kogi’s to government house. Young and brash and exhibiting surprising arrogance, Yahaya Bello, the Governor of Kogi state is making himself an odium on the campaign for youths to be given a chance at governance at all levels.
Yahaya Bello is reputed as the youngest governor in Nigeria currently. He assumed office as governor, his first foray into governance, at age 40. This is after the rightful winner of the election, Prince Abubakar Audu died mysteriously. Since then his inexperience and excessive youthful exuberance has made him and the state the butt of jokes. The ground is whet from the bloodshed of his re-election, while the people cower under his heavy handed rule. Poverty, disease, hopelessness walk naked on the frightened faces of the people while their young emperor plays kalokalo with their destiny.
Not a few were stunned by his contrived bravado when officials of the National Centre for Disease Control, visited the state to take charge of the coronavirus situation in the state. To their gesture, Governor Bello, ordered that they be quarantined for 14 days before they will be allowed to confront the pandemic, which the governor wants the world to believe is non-existent, in the state. As he boastfully posits, COVID-19 is just an attempt by some smart alecks to steal billions of Naira from the public purse. He says there is nothing like COVID-19, at least not in Kogi state.
Nigerians will perhaps remember a viral video, exclusively sourced by TNG (TheNewsGuru.com), where a seemingly athletic Governor Bello, in his private gym, displayed so much laughable childishness. Those who watched the video were truly baffled how a man of such intellect managed to become a governor. But then they remember that he never really contested for and won the first election. The courts curiously handed it to him on a platter of unearned gold.
Governor Bello’s grouse was simple. People were rightly worried for him after it was confirmed that the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, the powerful Abba Kyari, had tested positive to the deadly virus which eventually took his life. Recall that when the late Abba Kyari returned from the trip that shortened his life, one of the few things he did before the virus manifested its fangs, was a condolence visit to Governor Bello who had just lost his mother.
After it became known that Governor Bello had very close contacts with Kyari, speculations were rife that he too might have been infected by the still rampaging Coronavirus disease. No one knows if he did the test but he came out smoking, pouring curses on, and wishing all the speculators and well wishers who feared for his health, a deluge of HIV/AIDS infection! Since then he has never hidden his disdain for the pandemic which has ravaged and shut down Nigeria and indeed the world. He has told all, and stood firm on his belief that Kogi state is COVID-19 free. it is therefore, in his attempt to wish away the coronavirus infection, that he harangued, harassed and chased away officers of the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, from the state. What infantile bravado.
