By Sotonye Ijuye Dagogo
For over a year now, a small number of politicians have continued to unsettle Rivers people, even as the people are weighed down by severe economic hardship brought upon them by the same thieving politicians and their cohorts.
Why won’t these politicians allow Rivers people drink water and keep cup? Why won’t they allow Rivers people quietly go about how to survive the harsh cost of fuel, garri, rice, beans, school fees. house rent etc?
For eight years and more, these politicians ate greedily, unmindful that the food belongs to all of us. They dipped their hands so deep into the state treasury and took enormous amounts.
They were helped by their master to scoop depths of the treasury they couldn’t plunder by themselves.
Young men and women who hitherto were barely surviving have become multimillionaires, some billionaires. They have acquired choice property in and outside Nigeria.
As governor, their master seized and gifted them public property, including huge amounts of money to build lavish homes.
Small boys and girls that grew before our eyes are stinking rich on account of holding public offices.
They have become so accustomed to living large at the expense of the masses. They can’t imagine life without unfettered access to public money. They want to retain their hold on the public coffers by all means. They are ready to do anything, including destroying everything to have their way.
The Rivers State budget is their main focus. The budget must be brought to the “legislative wing” of their CULT for submission to the GODFATHER to decide how the sharing is done.
Fortunately for Rivers people, these political marauders were still thinking when SIM declared an unprecedented leap in the state IGR.
A humongous amount that was previously undeclared, about N15 billion monthly, have now been brought into the state’s financial books.
They got so upset and got into a stream of confusion.
In their anger, they issued an impeachment notice and then withdrew the impeachment notice. They defected from PDP to APC and then denied defecting. They attended APC rally and later attended PDP State Congress. They sued INEC not to conduct by-elections to fill their vacant seats and then withdrew the same suit against INEC.
Their insatiable appetite for free public money has brought on them uncontrollable confusion.
Then they dabaru everything, turning green into white, red into blue, turning electric to candle. “Them bring rabbit, them bring egg, them dey conjure, spirit catch them”.
If they can’t have access to Rivers State money as they wish, then the state must not have allocations. If they can’t continue in the monthly “kill and share” of the Rivers State allocation, then the state mustn’t have money from the federal government.
They began to attack left, right and centre. Running from court to court.
With deep corrupt pockets, many judges are willing to do their bidding. Judges who see silver and gold as better than a good name. “Who good name help” they say to themselves, as they look up to hundreds of millions of money, houses and SUVs.
In all, Nigerian security agents and anti-graft bodies merely look on, as looters of our common patrimony walk free, run riots and savagely oppress Nigerians with their ill-gotten wealth.
BUT, if not for the protection they get from the security agencies and other institutions of state, can these politicians hold Rivers people hostage without receiving the beaten of their lives?
(C) ljuye
01/11/24
