Niger Delta

I listened again, with shock, to one habitual ranter called Musa Sa’idu, popularly known as Musa Bobby, criticizing His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, as a leader who had not achieved anything, hence should resign.

By the way, the statement, aired on one of the FM Stations in Port Harcourt, came at a time its contents and undercurrents, were in sharp contrast to what everyone was seeing on ground, being put by His Excellency, now redefining what real term administrative skills, leadership capacity and political sagacity, combined entailed.

Let this unjust, reckless, superficial and supercilious ranter, be reminded that, by any standards, Governor Wike is an enviable performer.

This was attested to by no other than, the current Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, being also, a high level or prominent member of the opposition party, the APC, who first compellingly and publicly figured out that, the competitively laudable, performance of Wike, amongst all the thirty six Governors, in Infrastructural development terms.

This testimony ought to have restrained Musa from making his utterance questioning Wike’s performance.

Interestingly, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, didn’t make that historic statement just like that, but clearly under the bewilderment he felt, while being conducted round sites of breathtaking infrastructural development projects, across Rivers State during a state visit.

Professor Osinbajo was quoted as saying, “I think he deserves the title of ‘Mr Projects’; he is in­deed ‘Mr Projects’. As we came in today, we had to visit some project sites”.

Of course, Musa Bobby, being an APC stelwart, should have seen the folly in such utterances before making them, by taking cue from the Vice President.

However, even in APC, there are figures who can’t see beyond their long nose. Musa must be more impressed by them, hence forms the habit of doing and saying things that are only in tune with these morbid elements.

Still, as a supposedly matured person, Musa should have been self-esteemed enough, to think twice before making such preposterous utterances, which now ridiculed him.

The unguarded utterances also exposed him as nothing but a lackey engaged in massaging ego of his low-rated masters, who can’t see anything good in Wike, his administration and progressive political style.

Little wonder are his recent utterances, to those familiar with his aimlessness.

To suggest that, Musa’s recent utterances, were part of APC’s anti-Wike script, the Party’s spokesperson of it’s Rivers State chapter, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke also faulted the Indefatigable Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s empathetic approach to infrastructural development.

To the APC, some projects ought not to be where they are sited and executed, invertently exposing their deep-seated socio-political and economic morbidity against people of Rivers State.

The stricture, also implies that they were not happy with these projects despite the fact that, they knew the projects were informed by pressing needs of them in the benefitting localities.

Needless to say, such reactions to Wike’s pragmatic approach to delivering dividends of democracy to cross-section of the public, frighteningly suggests that, APC could demolish such legacy projects, should people of Rivers State, risk electing its candidates in future elections, to pilot their affairs.

Musa Sa’id, is therefore only playing to the gallery, creating unnecessary enmity between him, and us, the hospitable people of Rivers, towards the Northern communities resident in the State.

His statement also may indicate the growing discomfort of criminal-minded people, who find the proactive attitude of the Wike towards security challenges in the state, which was actually caused by his lousy ruling Party’s controlled Federal Government, in handling the nation’s escalating security issues.

This is despite the fact that, over ninety percent of the positive impact of Wike’s proactive measures on security, is being felt or enjoyed, by the Northern communities.

Even the security personnel being targeted, are often peopled by men and officers, of northern extractions. One is sometimes impelled to ask Musa: is he being naive, or a justification that, he is not truly a Nigerian? Otherwise, his utterances are simply uncalled for.

Musa also fails to realize that, the utterances have never added any value to his own people, rather, they hurt the indigenes, and by implication exposing the northern communities to harmful socio-political complex.

Same Musa was on air few months ago, accusing respectable Northern elders on a mission to Niger Delta and the East, to strengthen the socio-cultural ties, between the North and the two geopolitical zones, under the leadership of Professor Ango Abdullahi, of fraud.

How disrespectful Musa has been, and mischievous, against people and interests of the Northern communities in not only Rivers State, but the entire South-south.

This clearly explains why all law-abiding members of the Northern communities in Rivers State, both distance themselves from him, and never take him serious in his impossible mission to be their leader.

His mission is nothing but subversive and dangerous, threatening the sustained cordial relationship between the South-south and the North.

Musa Bobby should grow up, to play politics of maturity and integration, which the nation’s founding fathers taught the two regions or Geopolitical zones.

Musa Sa’idu Bobby should be told that, his utterances on radio stations or made publicly through any media, are not in consonance with the mutual socio-political relationship between Rivers State people and Northern communities resident here.

As an indigene of Niger Delta, from Rivers State, I find Musa’s statements hateful, and so in sharp contrast to what I experience in my long term relationship with the Northern communities in Rivers State.

By, Alhaji AbdurRazaq Cline Diepriye.
Sole Administrator,Rivers State Muslim pilgrims Welfare Board.