Intimidation+gangsterism = PDP democracy

KWENU! Our culture, our future

Intimidation + Gangsterism = PDP democracy

Max Gbanite
New Jersey, USA

Tuesday November 20, 2001

"Man is a contradiction, a complex being, and a unique animal…one side of man shows his ingenuity, his humanness, his creative capacity and his capacity to be kind, loving and to acknowledge and honour the truth. This is the divine aspect of man. The other face shows man using his ability, capability and ingenuity maliciously, selfishly, devilishly, and oppressively. This is the satanic aspect of man…" so stated by the President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in his book (This Animal Called Man, back page).

I agree with the statement that expresses the face of man as "malicious, selfish, devilish, and oppressive." This is the truism with the politics of intimidation and gangsterism being displayed by PDP Governors of Rivers State and Edo State of Nigeria. Although one could easily identify other PDP-controlled states where such gangster gallantry is being exhibited, this write-up is highlighting the states mentioned.

Rivers State and Edo State are considered the hired assassin states of the world because of the spate of assassinations credited to the states. The worst of it all is that those assassinated, or being targeted for assassination, had one thing in common: they were seen to be opposed to the incumbent governors or to belong to different political associations.

Why?

Does it really mean that the governors of both states are not Christians, God-loving and God-fearing people, that they tolerate the maiming and or extermination of a fellow man or woman for having a say in the way they (the people) are governed? That our distinguished President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, an affirmed born-again Christian and devout to the religion, would tolerate these atrocities under his watch is very bemusing. When will he react and advise his PDP governors to stop the carnage? This readily brings to mind the recent apology extended to the Jews by the Pontiff, Pope John Paul II, for the silence exhibited by Pope Pius the sixth against the Jewish people during the era of Nazism.

To bring the reader up-to-date without chronicling all the relevant facts as documented by the Nigerian press -- when they are truly devoted to the act of telling the truth, that being the true art of journalism -- I refer you to the articles published in Treasure Magazine, August 6th. Therein you will read the story of what occurred in Edo State, under the incumbent governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion -- a Christian, hopefully, based on his name. The magazine in its opening caption made the following statement, "For former Vice President, Augustus Aikhomu, these are trying times. He sure knows his life is in danger. Much as he has tried to remain relevant politically, there are mounting threats on his life. It is either he keeps quiet on matters that affect his state and country, or face the 'death squad'."

True to the publication, on Friday, July 13th, a coffin with a dead black goat was deposited at the front gate of the Admiral's residence, located along Ikpokpan Street in Government Reserved Area (GRA), Benin City by thugs fingered to be members of Edo Youth Vanguard, a PDP-financed and controlled militia who wreck havoc on any suspected opposition. The same group on July 15th ambushed the Admiral and members of Fourth Dimension of Nigeria (FDN), a sociopolitical group representing the interest of South-South and likened to Yoruba Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndiigbo. Fortunately, the Admiral escaped unhurt, but other members of this group were not so lucky. They were mercilessly pounced on, beaten up brutally, and bloodied to the point of unconsciousness by the menacing youths.

The crime of FDN was said to be that the august body -- made up of the likes of Aikhomu, Tayo Apata, David Edebiri, Gentleman Amegor, Amen Erhunmwuntshe, and other political bigwigs in the State -- have resolved to wage war against misgovernance in the state. As a result, many of these prominent names that have served the nation so creditably were penciled down for elimination by state-sponsored terrorists. Even as I write, the office of the Presidency, National Security, Inspector General of Police, Internal Affairs, and the State Governor himself have not condemned these acts of barbarism in its highest form. The absence of any sympathetic statement to FDN from these exulted positions and persons appears to have given a tacit approval of the attack.

"This animal called man"!

I was actually compelled to present my views on the issue of "intimidation and gangsterism equal PDP democracy" by the event of Edo State and the most recent one in Rivers State and, above all, my conscience. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. posited that, "The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." Towards what direction are we moving? If we know our historical past and the reasons for being where we find ourselves, we must strive to do better. Have the current crops of clergymen lost their conscience and the power to reason? If we believe that "Conscience is that still, small voice that is sometimes too loud for comfort" as stated by Bert Murray, why then do we wallow in silence of the lamb by not condemning the atrocities being perpetrated by man against his fellow man?

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in one of his interviews said of conscience: "The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." Where is Prelate Sunday Mbang of the Christian Association of Nigeria? While he's so busy condemning former President General Ibrahim Babangida personally and insisting that Chief Obasanjo must be returned back to office -- even if his records stink and are abysmal, people of Christian faith are killing each other, and he is yet to speak against it. Where is Archbishop Okogie? Where are all the so-called overseers and prophets of dooms and of wealth living in the country? Are they really blind to the carnage in Rivers State?

Kindly read ThisDay Newspaper of Thursday November 1, 2001 and The Source magazine, October 29, 2001: Therein, you will find the fact of what is happening in Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State just because they belong to a different political party, APP, and the incumbent Governor, Chief (Dr) Peter Odili and his supporter see them as political threats to his reelection moves. A sane person would think or reason that one is primarily reelected into office by the measure of his meritorious performance and service to his people. Unfortunately, in Rivers State the art of intimidation and gangsterism seems to be the order of the day.

The most dangerous and disingenuous aspect of this event is that eyewitnesses allege the tacit support of the 'Nigerian Police Force'. As recent as August, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo changed the name from 'Nigerian Police Force' to 'Nigerian Police'. I guess the removal of the word "force," it seems, would give them some credence and the resolve to work for the populace, not for a selective few. This is a clear example of what would happen if the national legislatures are criminally insane enough to authorize state-owned police. If the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Director General of State Security Services (all Yoruba), have failed to protect democracy under Obasanjo's watch, whom then can he trust with his embellishment of democracy?

What I find very repugnant in Rivers State is the careless assassination attempt of Professor Tam David-West, a national jewel, and the burning of the house of former governor of the State, Chief Rufus Ada George. What a shame considering that the current Governor Peter Odili cut his teeth in politics under Chief Ada George as his deputy governor during the era of diarchy practiced under General Babangida.

There are many people who have fallen victims of what appears to be an oppressive regime of Peter Odili, going by the account of different news publications. Why Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has allowed such carnage -- as seen in Edo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Delta, Bayelsa, and even of recent in Benue State (where General Malu's house was burnt and some members of his family killed) -- to sweep the nation without addressing them properly keeps democratic-minded people like me astounded and bereft of hope and confidence in returning his party, PDP, back to power in 2003. As a card-carrying member of PDP, I am ashamed by the way we are practicing democracy in Nigeria today. How do you reconcile the fact that more innocent citizens of Nigeria have died at the hands of hired assassins and armed robbers and many more lost to religious intolerance, communal crisis, cultism, police brutality, and government intimidation than at any other time in our national history, with the exception of the 1966 pogrom? Honestly speaking, the first, second, and third republics never posted such calamities. Even all the military regimes put together, minus the unfortunate casualties of the civil war, did not witness such carnage.

Did Chief Obasanjo make a mistake in his book (A New Dawn: Selected Speeches, page 10), when, in describing the virtues of democracy, he said: "The richness of the democratic dispensation before us is a golden opportunity, which must not be squandered. It is the chance for rebirth, a chance to rekindle the transformation of our country into a land of opportunity and justice for all. It is an opportunity to create an enabling environment to actualize the vast potentials which nature and providence had endowed us. Only in a climate of peace, security, justice and equity can the creative energy of our citizens be optimally employed in positive pursuits than can benefit the society at large. We must seize this historic window of opportunity; we must not let victory elude us, because we may never be this lucky again." Good talk! However, his supposedly democratic actions of late cannot be measured against the wisdom he proffered in his book.

Why?

Many critics argue that his intellect may have been affected from having spent the three years he did at Yola Prisons as a guest of the late General Sani Abacha-led government. But judging by the text of his writing, this writer believes that President Obasanjo is a gifted and talented leader who has failed to use the talents of well-deserved advisers that could have assisted him in putting the nation on the right footing. One who reads this article may ponder why I have decided to associate President Obasanjo with the crises in Edo and Rivers States. Well, among many other reasons, I hold him and the respective governors responsible for the atrocities; him, more so, because, as President Johnson of America once said, "The buck starts and stops at my desk."

Chief Obasanjo described his four points of unity in his book (Sermons From Prison, pages 48-49):

"A) Unity is not imposition, oppression and suppression of one's will, interests and concern over another. There must be mutual consideration, mutual understanding, mutual advantage, shared sacrifice, equity and a sense of belonging and stake and feeling of consultation and involvement.

B) Unity is not unanimity -- everyone agreeing with everyone on details of methods of operation. We must discuss, debate, deliberate and reach consensus and if necessary hold differences but not sharp, open disagreement on non-fundamental issues of administration, priority of work and action without being spiritually divided.

C) Unity is not uniformity -- everyone looking and behaving alike, we are different individuals and we must remain so, but as Christians and children of God created in the image of God, we must accept common attributes and common perspectives but not regimented nor robotized. The problem of identification would have been immense if we had been uniformly created to look and behave alike.

D) Unity has been defined as 'the bond that exists between one person and another but particularly in the church of Christ in which they know that the things that unite them are deeper, stronger, more eternal, more fundamental and more significant than the things that might separate them.' There is strength, power and wisdom in discussion, debate, dialoguing, deliberation and contention of issues. When we have a deep love for the truth, our thoughtful convictions must be defended. Matters of personal preferences or opinion should not be elevated to the level of doctrine."

I am sure Chief Obasanjo was at his best frame of mind when he penned those words on UNITY. But today, can we truly say that Nigeria as a country and a nation yet-to-be has enjoyed unity? Chief Obasanjo was imposed on the true crusaders of democracy (Group 34, and others), through the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) group because he was seen as a unifying figure. Perhaps it was true then, but the events of today -- as many have witnessed -- speak less about unity; instead, the intention of many communities is DISINTEGRATION. And this is happening when the overwhelming majority gave the President and his ruling party, PDP, their votes and trust, hoping for a better tomorrow and benefits and dividends of democracy.

If unity -- as the President wisely reiterated -- is to remain, blossom in 2003, and thereafter, he must hurry and sign into law the bills as passed by the National Assembly for the registration of more political parties that have met the guidelines and qualified as established by law. He must embark on a national tour and convene town meetings to address the dangers of disintegration and all the mitigating factors working against his government. He must warn his party members to desist once and for all from intimidating those that have different opinions or are opposed to their decisions. Democracy without opposition is worse than dictatorship, in my opinion.

The President must cite himself as an example of someone who has actively used the verbs "is" and "was." If we recall, there was a time in 1976 when people called him the Head of State of Nigeria (the period of "is"). And later in life, he went to prison as a former Head of State (the period of "was"). Today he is "is" again -- the President of Nigeria. Therefore, these incumbent governors must never be deluded into thinking that their current status as governors is permanent. Tomorrow for them would certainly be a "was"; and, after that, what they did or didn't do yesterday will definitely come to haunt them, and that's when revenge might be sweetest to those who suffer oppression in their hands.

May God Almighty in His infinite wisdom grant the President, the Clergy, and all God-loving and God-fearing people of Edo State, Rivers State, and the rest of the country the courage to condemn evil wherever it raises its head. We as a people must bear the blame if military men decide to force their way into our budding democracy. After all, we have not acted creditably, and both the leaders and the led are guilty.