Recently the Nigerian Ambassador to
the Kingdom of Netherlands Amb. Oji Ngofa launched a media tirade against
the Senator representing
Rivers South East Sen. Magnus Ngei
Abe over what he says is the plan of the Governorship aspirant in Rivers
state to destroy the All Progressives Congress APC led by Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. Amb. Ngofa in the
interview gave the impression that he was very close to Sen. Abe and
considering the interest of his party in taking over the Rivers Brick
House come 2019, sees the ambition of Sen. Abe which he has pursued
legitimately as the biggest threat to the party come 2019.
As I read through the interview, I
sensed where Amb. Ngofa was coming
from and I must stress that I saw
what ambition can do to the thought of the noblest of men. Amb. Oji Ngofa
having enjoyed the best of patronage from the former Governor of Rivers state
and current minister of transport who aside pushing him for the post of ambassador to the Netherlands with
the attendant benefit he may have gotten from the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) when
considering the place of the Netherlands as a major hub in port activities, as
well as his ambition to become the next Senator to represent the people of Rivers South East after Sen. Abe, can go about twisting
facts so as to foster the
undemocratic activities of his master
Chibuike Amaechi. But one thing he failed to realise is that no matter how fast lies may
move, it will surely be overtaken by the truth. First and foremost he has to realise
that Sen. Abe has the full legitimate right to contest for the position of
Governor of the state even as I believe also that Rotimi Amaechi has the full right to support whoever he
wants to support for the position of Governor of the state.
But one thing he failed to address is
if the former Governor went about his support with decorum, utmost respect for legitimacy
and for rule of law. He also failed to realise that the fact that the Minister of
Transport seeks to support a candidate does not mean that the candidate must
win at all cost. If the party can decide not to give its governorship ticket to the anointed candidates
of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state as well
as Governor Yari of Zamfara state all because in their view they believed the
governors were trying to foist candidates on the party which in their opinion they saw
as undemocratic why then should they allow the same scenario to stand in Rivers state
especially considering the fact that the said candidate that is been foisted does not have the
clout of Senator Magnus Abe. Does it not amount to double standards?
Why did the party dance to the tune of the minister
by conducting an indirect primaries
in the state while accepting
direct primaries for other states
with lesser issues as that of Rivers
state?
Amb. Oji Ngofa ostensibly showed that
his much celebrated closeness to his Ogoni brother Senator and governorship
aspirant was not real but all politics. He has never been close to the Senator neither has he shown interest in
the aspiration of his Ogoni people to be partakers in the leadership
of the state. If he had such interest, he wouldn't have come out
publicly to make such infamous assertions on the person of Sen. Abe and his
legitimate aspiration to lead the state. One thing he has failed to understand
also is that unlike other aspirants who showed their desperation for power by defecting on the
slightest opportunity available, Sen. Abe has remained with the party and supported the party
especially President Muhammadu Buhari's second term ambition. His only offence seems
to be his desire to use the legitimate opportunity available which is the law
courts. Interestingly, the judgments of the courts have favoured him because he knows what he is
doing and has gone through it with decency. If the likes of Ngofa and other
antagonists of Sen. Abe are interested in the progress of the party in the
state they should do the right thing which begins by respecting the judgments of
the law courts especially that of the highest court of the land. Amb. Ngofa is an ambassador to a
country where they respect the rule of law. Is it not improper that he
admires what they do there while he detests the same thing over here in
his country? He clearly shows what many Nigerians
who have travelled abroad have failed
to do which is to bring back home the lessons they have learnt in
foreign lands. Nigeria will not grow if we continue to behave this way.
Sen. Abe is on the right path as far
as democracy is concerned. Falling for the whims and caprices of a singular
individual whose pride and ego is destroying the party does not show a man of character
it only shows a man desperate for power and that is what Amb. Oji Ngofa clearly represents.
He is an opportunist who is desperate for the position of Senator and wants to do all he
can to disparage Sen. Abe in order to get more support for his senatorial project.
If he thinks he has succeeded, he may be making the greatest mistake
because he has ended up showing the kind of person he is - an ingrate of
the highest order who cannot be trusted when all is rosy With such a friend like
Ngofa, Sen. Magnus does not really need an enemy.
Nwokoma Messiah wrote from Abuja
Comments
Post a Comment