Effurun market fire incidence: there is definitely still hope for a better Nigeria

By Ilobi Austin

When Honourable Peter Abugewa was elected last year as the Chairman of Uvwie local government area of Delta state, very few, amongst whom, includes this writer, gave him any chance of success, in piloting the affairs of the “most restless LGA in Nigeria”.

This pessimism was underscored by the fact that, it was one LG that, before his coming, had not known real peace since its creation y the Abacha regime; moving from one youth - actually, these are mostly men with excessive taste for worldly goods, stimulated upheaval to another.

But upon his inauguration, he had immediately moved to stem this tide which had seen businesses relocate to nearby communities by putting out a very strong lightening bolt which has prompted some, one never thought would ever have bothered to earn their keeps, to now take up jobs, which before now, they would have simply sold off and gone back to the same company to forcefully demand that they be made “ghost workers”.

With the obvious peace that this measure heralded, some sceptics still reckoned he was only hammering his opponents to the ground. But his response to the fire incidence of Sunday 4th January, at the Effurun main market finally removed all doubt his personal determination to chart a new course for the LG.

On getting information while still in the Church about the incidence, he had immediately stormed the market in his white garment to help co-ordinate efforts geared towards putting out the fire and salvaging goods. But this was not without first mobilizing, in intimidating numbers, the entire security agencies-Army, police, CIDS, etc, with units within the LG, not forgetting, the fire service, whose response, was with all alacrity- very surprising. His conduct during and after the incidence and his statement of reassurances to the affected traders has no doubt, won him more converts.

One personage whose presence in the market immediately he got the news that morning, would forever be cherished by the traders, is the new traditional ruler of the Uvwie kingdom, King Abe, the first; a very urbane and detribalized royal father.

One only wishes that his type would be allowed to populate the LG’s in the country and even state houses including the rocks of Abuja.

Ilobi Austin, an eye witness writes from warri.

Ribadu more than justified his dismissal and, even more.

By Ilobi Austin.

Ribadu’s conduct, misconduct and apologies to our legislators-local, state and federal, gross misconduct while in the services of former president, Obasanjo, are well too known to make any repetition, intolerable. What is still tolerable and with a pull amongst pro, anti and “non-aligned” or “undecided” groups, is the reasons first, behind the “recession” in his career as a police officer and then, it bankruptcy, which was, very recently, endorsed by the regulatory authority- Police Service Commission, very recently.

I must state categorically that Ribadu judging from his reactions to the events of the recent past about him, is after all, not half as intelligent as he was portrayed; and this applies to his brilliance. His exploit as the head of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission I now firmly believe was made possible by the army of aides-with the former president quarterbacking them all, that was at his becks and calls coupled with his own “emotion over reasons and deliberateness”, dispositions in resolving issues, and may be, just may be, a regrettable fondness for theatrics over substance. My assertions are not groundless.

He of all persons ought to have known that no new government by whatever name called, inherits the seemingly most powerful and feared individual from his predecessor and retains their services; especially, where the individual had purposely or inadvertently, advertized the fact. No! the new leader never trusts the individual and is consequently, restless until such is divorced from both his administration and his immediate surroundings. The same applies to billionaires created by such administration; the more they try to demonstrate their loyalty, the more they lose color. There was once an Abiola, an Arisekola, Arthur Eze, Kabo, Dantata, Iwuanyanwu and a host of others. This is in keeping with the aphorism, “nothing last forever”.

If Ribadu was every inch a real gold as he had been portrayed and not gold plated, he would have known that he was considered by many in the country to be one of the most feared- not influential, persons in the last government ,starting from the period of the fights between his principal- the president, and his vice. On this score, one would have expected him to, on the collapse of the bid to “Mugabe” his principal, meet a psychologist to help him adjust adequately for life without Obasanjo-who had some how, made him believe that he was the only person without whom, the fight against corruption would not succeed.

This, he did not do. So, when he when he was asked to leave his “customized” job for further studies, he was flummoxed, then angry. But he finally “cut rope” when he was demoted to his appropriate position, as part of the across board review of the activities of his last master. Relying on the feathery support of pro-democracy groups and lawyers, who might have deceived him, that he had a case that the law would support, and adequate internationalization of his cause by media friends, he had gone one a one-man mutiny against the president through his attorney-general, and his superiors in the police force.

He had accused the government of protecting allegedly corrupt former governors due to the attorney-general’s insistence that he follows the dictate of the law rather than his whims and caprices in going after his targets. And equally, he had told off the inspector-general of police, who had sought to exercise his constitutionally established responsibilities over him. At every point in his “crusade” against the presidency, he had had to run to, utterly “corrupt judges and lawyers” to seek shelter and safety from presidential “punches”.

Now that he has been deservedly dismissed from the police force, and foreclosed his chances of ever seeking public office, a treatment he had so wickedly sought to mete out to the “enemies” of former president Obasanjo, I am sure he can tell best, the taste of such puddings. He was not the most influential personage of the Obasanjo’s regime and certainly, not the most feared. No! There was chief Aneni, “the executioner” and there was equally, the green mamba, Dr. Andy Uba. He was only, the most indiscreet, of the lot.

This is certainly just the beginning of a very long and horrific night for him. We wait to hear what NIPSS has to say about a bad ambassador like him. Then, there is the issue of missing files about ex-governors or no files and equal important the sales of properties confiscated from convicts and the purchase of properties in the different choice locations outside the country with names of third parties. Mrs. Farida no doubt, is more than capable of doing justice to all sides.

He is about to learn that the statement, “what goes around comes around” did not disappear nor lose it meaning as a popular sayings after Al Mustapha misadventure with Abacha.
Ilobi Austin, a public commentator writes from Warri. His other articles on international and national issues can be downloaded free @ http://www.vibratingaustin.blogspot.com/