Of fear, mudslinging and 2003
By
I must admit right away that I do not believe that it is too early to begin campaign for general elections scheduled for sometime in the Year 2003. Indeed, by May 29, this year, the present crop of elected office holders at State and Federal levels would have clocked two years in office. In a four-year tenure, two years is sufficient to judge the performance of those whom we gave our mandate. Clearly in these two years, the boys have been separated from the men; the weak separated from the strong; charlatans separated from the brilliant and focused. Nigerians, in their haste to have the military return to the barracks, did not have enough time to scrutinize those who came begging for their votes during the rushed transition programme of General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Regrettably, many unqualified political opportunists capitalised on our naïvety and had us catapult them in exalted political offices. But thank God for their first two years in office. They have shown us their true colours. We now know them better. It is my view that Nigerians should not be perturbed by the seemingly early campaigns for the next election. Rather, what I believe must be resisted is the attempt by some self-appointed messiahs to once again pave way for the emergence of dubious and unpopular individuals as our elected leaders by 2003.
In particular, I would want to dwell on the situation in Rivers State. It is an open secret that Prince Chibudom Nwuche, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, passionately nursed the ambition of becoming the Executive Governor of Rivers State. He, however, withdrew from the race having been clearly dwarfed by the other candidates aspiring for the same office. Nwuche who was by then riding on the goodwill of his father, Eze Nwuche had garnered over the years, then sought to go to the Senate. Again, it was clear to him early enough that he was rather too unpopular and clearly bereft of the requisite experience, zeal and charisma for the high office of a Senator. A sulking Nwuche eventually got lucky and got a place in the Federal House of Representatives. And thanks to the ruling PDP’s zoning formula, our own very inexperienced Chibudom Nwuche became the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Back home in Rivers State, we were jubilant over the zoning of such a high office to our state, though many feared that the office may well have landed on the wrong laps. That was almost two years ago. Today what many feared about Chibudom Nwuche has come to pass.
As the Deputy Speaker of the House, all the peace-loving people of Rivers State have benefited from Nwuche is daily doses of trouble and embarrassment. For no just cause, Nwuche has continued to launch attacks aimed at distracting and destabilising the Rivers State government. We are aware that Nwuche, who still has his eyes on the Rivers State Government House has confided in his associates that the only way he can make in-road in Rivers State politics is to destroy Odili.
Aside a paltry sum of money he recently gave out in his local government area as scholarship, Prince Nwuche can not boast of any other achievement, two years into his four years tenure. Yet, he wants to be the next governor of Rivers State. In sharp contrast to Nwuche, the two years of Dr. Odili has spent as governor has brought a new lease to the masses of the State. His achievements thus far now seem uncountable. In just two years, Gov. Odili has completed the following projects: the Port Harcourt urban renewal housing scheme; the Rivers State skills acquisition factory; several rural electrification projects, student hostels at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, rehabilitation of several major roads and, of course, the procurement and installation of turbines and other vital accessories, preparatory for the take-off of independent generation of electricity in Rivers State. The list is endless. It was thus not a surprise that the people of Rivers State only recently, shortly after the PDP congress in the state, announced that they would eagerly back Dr. Odili if he seeks re-election. It was merely an endorsement of the Governor’s efforts thus far. It was not a blanket nomination as Prince Nwuche now claims. It could not have been so because election is still two years away. The Deputy Speaker should stop the mudslinging and now learn how to play the game maturely.
If only Nwuche would be humble, I believe he would learn a lot from the amiable Governor Peter Odili.
Mr. Taribo, wrote in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.