Rivers state as the new Wild Wild
– Two political gladiators are currently in a battle of supremacy in Rivers State
– Governor Nyesom Wike, Rotimi Amaechi are at the center of the conflict
– The battle is for the soul of Rivers state
Amaechi and Wike in supremacy battle for the soul of Rivers state
The two political gladiators in Rivers State and their fanatical and murderous supporters must know that Rivers state is greater than the ambition of any politician.
In their quest to gain or sustain power by all means necessary they must know that by the time their violent rage is done, there will be no more state to govern.
Now it’s a shame that the bloody trail of violence these shameless gladiators and their barbaric supporters have left is the perception of a state which has become the most dangerous comparable only to the three north-east states under the vicious grip of Boko Haram terror war.
The only difference is that in Rivers, it is the politicians and their thugs that are unleashing fear and terror on helpless residents.
They give the impression that everyone in the state is a politician or a party supporter. Dear Amaechi and Wike, the people of your state deserve to be protected from the violence your thugs are unleashing on the people. Rivers state is greater than the two of you.
To understand why Rivers state has become Nigeria’s new Wild Wild West is to understand why our brand of politics has always been that of a do-or-die.
With the unending violence in Rivers, politicians in Nigeria’s oil-rich region have taken violent politics to a new and unpredictable level. It is having an adverse effect on the socio-economic life of the state.
The violence in Rivers presents a different scenario from the typical political violence that has characterized Nigeria’s democratic experiment.
The fact that it has become endemic makes it dangerous not just to the entire South-South region but also for the entire country.
As I ponder on the debacle in Rivers, I have come to the conclusion that the violence that has greeted every election could not just be because these politicians love the people so much that they are ready to die for them.
It could not be because they want to serve the people that they have turned their entire state into a war front.
The desperation by politicians could only be about one thing. The scramble for the resources of Rivers is at the center of this unprecedented political battle. Rivers state is one of the richest states in Nigeria.
It is home to large deposits of Nigeria oil. So one has the sense that the rivalry is about who controls the resources of Rivers rather the altruism to serve the people.
The struggle for political dominance in Rivers is also about the ego of the former political friends who have found themselves on two sides of political divide.
The story has been told of Governor Nyesom Wike and former governor and now Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had been in the same political camp. Wike at the time was reputed to be Amaechi’s enforcer-in-chief.
With the manner Wike has been standing up to his former boss, it seems he has learnt the tricks that made Amaechi emerge as the strong man of Rivers and south-south politics after his political tutelage from his former boss, Peter Odili. Now Wike is the new kid on the block.
Regrettably, both he and Amaechi have become the new face of a bloody chapter in the history of the state. Another backdrop to the violence that has engulfed River state is the politics that has pitched the All Progressives Congress with the Peoples Democratic Party.
The genesis of the rivalry can be traced to the 2015 general elections. The then Governor Rotimi Amaechi had been the arrow head that antagonized the re-election of former president Goodluck Jonathan.
It all began in 2013 when Amaechi as the Chairman of the governors’ forum had sought to get re-elected for a second term much to the disapproval of the Jonathan.
The fallout of the election saw the former president supporting the David Jang faction after the election in which Amaechi was widely believed to have won.
Then, the battle line was drawn. The aftermath of the governors’ forum led to the dismembering of PDP when Amaechi led other disgruntled governors to form the new PDP that later merged into the grand alliance that is now APC.
Since then, it has been violence all the way. The 2013 state assembly fracas and the controversy over the appointment of a chief judge culminated in a bloody 2015 election which pitched APC’s candidate, Dakuku Peterside with the incumbent governor, Nyesom Wike. Political thugs unleashed violence on the state and people died.
The politicians created an atmosphere of fear. Residents dared not venture out of their homes. As people lost their lives, all they did was point accusing fingers and law enforcement agents could not bring anyone to book for the violence that characterized the election.
The same scenario played out in the re-run that took place in on Saturday, March 19. Prior to the re-run, an APC chieftain was beheaded. His wife and son were also killed. The conflict also led to the death of two soldiers who were on the trail of thugs.
During the re-run, the state erupted in violence as thugs invaded polling areas shooting at people leading the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel election in about eight local government areas.
What is worrisome in the Rivers situation is that law enforcement agents seem powerless in face of the violence. What one can conclude from the lethargy of law enforcement agents is that they have become compromised.
No doubt also, the militarization of socio-political life in region has manifested in the violence that has become the face of every election.
The politician is also to be blamed for the turn of event in Rivers and the entire region. During the campaigns, politicians openly use threatening words.
Violent rhetoric dominated the campaigns as threats were issued even in police presence. When politicians use threats and incite their followers with hate campaign, it can only lead to one predictable outcome.
For one, the violence in the state may be the beginning of worse things to come. It’s a shame and the political elite in the state should blame themselves for what the Garden City and their entire state has become.
As I have said earlier, it must be emphasized that Rivers State is greater than any politician. Now because of the ambition of the two men, lives are being lost.
Since 2013, the people of Rivers have been living in fear. Political thugs and their sponsors have made the state very unsafe for the people of Rivers.
The situation is even said to be worse in the riverine areas. Rivers has never known peace. From militancy and now to political violence, politicians must thread softly before Rivers become another Somalia.
Law enforcement agents must not take sides in this conflict. Both Amaechi and Wike must tame their ambitions and call their supporters to order. Peace must reign in River state.
