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 letterwas 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 submittedtheir 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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