One inestimable and precious lesson which lots of men have refused to learn is the fact that nothing on earth lasts forever. If asthebiblesaysthere’sforeverything on earth time and season, how is that so many still find it extremely difficult to come to terms with this timeless, unimpeachable reality of life?
The one single reason why many otherwise great men fall is because they simply find it hard to realise that life itself is transient and therefore, everything thereinonearthwillcomeand go. Power comes and goes, Kingdoms rise and fall, man comesand goes. These are time-tested realities of life.
It’s the tendency not to realise that man cannot be God or play God that most men cannot tell when it is time to call it quit or to move on with their lives after an unpleasant experience or after their reign in office or time in power or that no man should underestimate or underrate his fellow man. We are all mortal men and for all mortals there is alwaysatimeandseasonforeverything. It’s foolhardy to think that all battles must be fought and won.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia is currently engulfed in a senseless war because he simply has not realised this trite lesson of life: that no man should play God and assume invincibility.
For Putin, his wrong-headed ‘military assignment’ in Ukraine has left him with bloodied nose, a black eye, embarrassment and humiliation. Putin is still in Ukraine because he simply cannot live with the shame that he has brought upon himself. He thought his incursion into Ukraine would be as easy as a stroll in the park on a Sunday morning. How wrong! He is learning the hard way. Unfortunately, he is wastingthepreciouslivesof innocentpeople just to chase what is turning out now to be an illusion. No man is God.
For our own low-budget version of Putin, Nyesom Wike and all other so-called godfathers, there are more than enoughlessonsand experiencestodraw from Putin’s misadventure in Ukraine – you can start a war but cannot predict the outcome. That’s is why humans are not God.
How Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, managed to drag himself fromthe veryenviableposition many saw him while he was the lone opposition voice fighting the tyrannical Muhammadu Buhari to the level now where he is now almost serving nuisance value seems too dramatic to comprehend.
Yes, Wike made Fubara governor of Rivers State, and for good measure, that isafactbecauseweknowhowelections are won in Nigeria, but must he bring down the roof (in this case Rivers State) just because he is chasing an obstinate godson? Was Wike not an ungrateful godson too?
The lingering political face-off between Fubara and Wike took a turn for the worse as the state conducted local councilelectionspenultimateSaturday, with both contenders contesting the validity or otherwise of the exercise.
Ironically, in a PDP state, the PDP and APC and the police withdrew from the electoral process, but the governor proceededwiththeelection, usingaspecial purpose vehicle (APP), to achieve his aim.
How Fubara was able to win 22 out of the 23 local council elections, with a relatively unknown APP within a very short space of time, might as well pass for the eighth wonder of the world. But if you are familiar with elections at that tier of governance, then you would know that Wike himself is a master in this field. They all do it, nothing new.
However, since one was not in the state to witness the election, to ascertain the transparency or otherwise of theelections, if whathappened inRivers reflected the wishes of the people, then there are very salient lessons for the erstwhilestrongmanof RiversState; the gameisup, it’stimeforWiketomoveon.
The FCT minister says for peace to reign, Fubara must obey the law. He insists that Fubara’s attempt to remove the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, is unlawful and cannot stand.
WhatWikeisaskingfor isthatAmaewhule and his other fellow lawmakers loyal to him must be reinstated and recognised as the constitutionally recognised faction. Of course, the Court of Appeal last week ruled that the budget Fubara is implementing is illegal.
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Wike thinks peace can only return to the state when Fubara accedes to his conditions. In order words, Fubara must embrace with open arms Assembly men who are completely loyal to him almost like they are under a spell to take charge while Fubara who is the Governor can comfortably sleep with both eyes closed.
Talking about betrayal, where are the likes of Goodluck Jonathan, Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi in the life of Wike today?
Sometime in May 2017, former President Jonathan, had said during the commissioning of a project in Rivers that; “Even though Wike was Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, at the time I was Vice President, I didn’t know him personally until his name was forwarded to me by the then Governor of Rivers State, Amaechi, when I became President for ministerial appointment. Out of persuasion, he became Minister…I have no regret for making him governor.”
How did Wike eventually pay back Ameachi? What goes around, comes around.
Riversisrichwithresources andrevenue, andit’sthefightastowhocontrols these huge resources that is at the heart of the ever-recurring crises in the state.
At least, from the ongoing quarrel between both men, it has been established that the Rivers State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) now stands at N27 billion every month compared to the N12 billion per month that was declared throughout the 8 years of Wike’s reign.
The crisis of last Monday, a day after the swearing in of the 22 winners of the controversial LG elections, where it has been reported that at least five lives had been lost, is shameful to say the least.
The sporadic gunfire and burning of public properties as reported in at least four local government areas, is taking brigandage and lawlessness to another level. It’s unacceptable and condemnable.
All said, it’s time for President Bola Tinubu, who we all know Wike is doing this for just to prove his political relevance to him, to rein in Wike and put a stop to all of the monstrous atrocities currently going on in Rivers.
That Wike made Fubara governor is nottosaythathemustallowhimtohold him by the jugular. He must be made to concentrate on histask as FCT minister and let Fubara be.
Itwasstillinthisfashionthatformer Governorof Edo State, AdamsOshiomhole, almost dug his own political grave when he was hell-bent on dislodging his estranged political godson, Godwin Obaseki. As APC chairman, Oshiomhole still had his gaze fixed in Edo and eventually lost on both ends until he now got a political lifeline to return as a senator.
Wike will similarly lose on both fronts if he still thinks he can eat his cake and still have it. He served his tenure as governor and must allow Fubara be. He must realise that it is not all battles that can be won. He has lost this and pushing further would only continue to erase whatever is left of his integrity. Wike must give room for genuine reconciliation of the crisis in the state and allow Fubara enjoy his reign. The condition he is giving for peace to return is impracticable and nobody would accept such.
Wike does not own Rivers and he alone cannot dictate the fate of what happens to the state.
And like Putin who has attracted to himself so many enemies, Wike too must realise that all the many enemies he has made for himself are now united in arms against him. As the Chinese would say, the enemy of my enemy is my best friend. Putin and all so-called powerfulmenandwomenwhoarrogate invincibility to themselves would eventually be humiliated by their underestimated opponents. For every Goliath, Putin or Wike, there is always a David, Zelenskky, and Fubara.
Discretion, itissaid, isthebetterpart of valour. But will Wike listen?
