Justice cries out as Amaechi and Wike swim in rivers of blood

There is a saying that “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that bears the brunt”. The adage captures the tumultuous events that characterized the recent election rerun in Rivers state.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Nyesom Wike

However, in the election rerun held in Rivers state on Saturday, March 19, it was not just the grasses that paid dearly for the ruthless clash of elephants. The trees and rocks had their fair share of the cruelty meted out because some high and mighty people refused to forego their personal ambitions for the national interest. The dance of shame When Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers state, and Rotimi Amaechi played to the gallery to wash dirty linen in public and dance to satisfy the insatiate media, little did they consider that for every action, there is an equal and sometimes not really opposite reaction. Perhaps they called the tantrums which they exchanged prior to the Rivers election rerun mere words. However, the people who look up to them forged the words into swords; perhaps into missives of mass destruction. And even before the reruns were underway, the rivers of blood had begun to flow in the garden city.

From the 24 slaughtered at Omoku to the fracas at Bori, and down to the massacre following gun-battles in Gokana and Khana local government areas of Rivers state; the elephants of Rivers danced to the tune of shame and the people were made to pay expensively.

Gruesome executions and viking marksmanship

The gory tale of the Rivers rerun cannot be told completely without noting that the way in which certain murders were executed at this time is of real concern. One fears that perhaps there is a group of killers that have been seasoned and trained in readiness for certain days of doom. The way in which some of the victims of the last election rerun were killed should really be a thing of concern for the government and people of Nigeria, especially those resident within the southeast and south-south region To make it clearer, over 20 people were beheaded within Rivers state, before and after the rescheduled election. There is nothing as ruthless and godless as decapitating a person. Experts say the essence of the decapitations is to send a strong signal of the godlessness which has taken over Rivers state. The method of killing employed by the political thugs and hired assassins in Rivers raises the spectre of cultism in the state. However, this piece was not written to throw more light or dwell on the gory killings that have taken place in Rivers state within the past few weeks, as the murders are too heartbreaking to talk about. From the beheading of the APC chieftain and members of his family to the slaughter in Omoku; the situation of things in Rivers state calls for great attention.

A brief history of barbarity

In February 2015, the All Progressives Congress (APC) claimed that it had lost 30 members to political violence in the state. These included party supporters attacked on their way to a campaign rally as well as those killed in gun attacks during campaign rallies in the state. Certain alleged shortcomings in the last presidential polls have been linked to continued violence in the state, with the APC now claiming that it lost 55 members in post-election violence. Back tracking a bit, one is drawn to the 2003 elections in Rivers which were both more violent and more brazenly rigged than in most other parts of the country. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), more than a dozen people, including gang leaders, cultists and low-level thugs, were alleged to have organized or carried out acts of paid violence on behalf of the PDP in order to rig the 2003 elections in Rivers. All of them said that they worked on behalf of the state government or PDP candidates for office to intimidate voters, attack their sponsors’ opponents or rig the voting directly in favour of the governor at the time, Peter Odili, and the PDP.

Investigations revealed that two gangs were reportedly employed as the PDP’s primary instruments in using violence to rig the 2003 polls in Rivers. HRW reports that the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) led by Asari Dokubo, and the Niger Delta Vigilante (NDV), led by Ateke Tom were the tools used for the election malpractices within the state. Moreover, although state government officials have vehemently denied their sponsorship of these groups, the activities of some officials have been documented. Ateke Tom himself acknowledged the role he played in the 2003 elections, telling Human Rights Watch that Governor Odili had promised cash and jobs in great quantities for himself and his ‘boys’, and that in return, “Any place Odili sent me, I conquer(ed) for him. I conquer(ed) everywhere.”

Asari Dokubo with members of MEND

Ex-governor Odili has consistently denied any relationship with Ateke, Asari, or any other gang leader. Beginning in late 2003, a drawn-out armed conflict between the PDP’s erstwhile agents, Asari’s NDPVF and Ateke’s NDV, plunged parts of Port Harcourt and surrounding communities into a state of terror. Locals were killed in their dozens along with hundreds of fighters. Tens of thousands fled their homes and riverine communities along the creeks were devastated; almost left desolate. According to a 2004 HRW report, Criminal Politics: Violence, “Godfathers” and Corruption in Nigeria: “The violence is generally acknowledged to have been sparked by a power play on the part of the state government. Having fallen out with former ally Asari Dukobo after Asari helped rig the 2003 elections, the Odili administration sponsored Ateke Tom in a failed and bloody attempt to crush Asari’s group. In 2007, there was a repeat of the violence that followed the 2003 elections. In May 2007 gang members linked to another prominent militant, Soboma George, murdered the armed group leader Price Igodo and as many as a dozen others. Numerous sources disclose that Soboma was paid to carry out the attack by supporters of the then Governor Celestine Omehia, partly in response to concerns that Igodo was planning to disrupt the new government’s May 29 inauguration.

Asari Dokubo

“Soboma and his Outlaws gang were reportedly hired by the PDP to help rig the 2007 elections in Rivers. One cult member described a meeting in Government House in Port Harcourt just prior to the April 14 polls during which he saw government officials hand out between N5 million and N10 million ($38,500 to $77,000) to several different cult groups in return for their assisting or simply accepting the PDP’s plans to rig the polls. Several other sources confirmed the substance of the meeting. READ ALSO: Investigation: How Abuja as a model city is failing Statistics show that a monthly average of 19 killings occurred in Rivers state between November 2014 and April 2015. A Rivers commission of inquiry affirms the statistical report. The commission notes that out of the 97 allegations of killings it received, 94 of them occurred between November 15, 2014, and April 11, 2015.”

Violence in Rivers state

Brothers, friends and foes Returning to the present day, Amaechi and Wike, the key actors in the latest gory drama within Rivers state go back a long way. They met first as brothers, both hailing from Ikwere, then as friends being political allies from 2008 in Dr Peter Odili’s administration when Wike served as chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA while Amaechi was elected into the state House of Assembly where he eventually emerged as speaker and presided over the affairs of the House for eight years. However, due to diverging interests, the two have become sworn enemies. In 2007, a former speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Chibuike Amaechi, won the governorship primaries of the PDP, only for the party chiefs to present his cousin, Celestine Omehia, as candidate instead. Omehia won the election, but Amaechi was eventually “awarded” the seat by the Supreme Court. Amaechi also awarded the position of chief of staff during his first term to Wike, who stood by him throughout this trying time. When Amaechi won the second term, he recommended Wike to President Goodluck Jonathan for appointment as the minister of state for education. Wike eventually became supervising minister, and later, substantive minister of education.

Romance with, and grandstanding against, Patience Jonathan

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience with Governor Dickson.

Wike became his own man, and a friend of First Lady Patience Jonathan, a native of Rivers state, and her husband, President Jonathan. The switch turned on Amaechi, whom the Jonathans believed did not want them re-elected, into Wike’s political enemy. Amaechi compounded the matter by preferring Dakuku Peterside, from the Rivers East Senatorial district, as his successor, over Wike, from his West Senatorial district. Another obstacle put in Amaechi’s way by Jonathan was his recognition of the then Plateau state governor, Jonah Jang, who won 16 votes, to Amaechi’s 19, as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). Jonathan also released the states’ funds hitherto held “hostage” during Amaechi’s first term as the NGF chairman. Other skirmishes included the grounding of the aircraft that Amaechi bought for Rivers state, and the bloody, but hare-brained scheme by five members of the 32-member Rivers state House of Assembly to impeach Amaechi, and his ardent supporter, the House speaker, Otelemaba Amachree. What is so special about Rivers state? And many would ask, “why is the battle for Rivers this heated?”. The answer, however, is simple: beyond being a major oil producing state, Rivers is politically significant as far as politics in Nigeria is concerned. Statistics have shown that it in terms of voting strength, Rivers state compares favourably with Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Delta, Niger, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto states. The voting strength (the total number of registered voters for the 2011 presidential election) of each of the afore-listed states is over two million. READ ALSO: Almajiri: The plight of Nigerian foot soldiers With regards to specific numbers of registered voters, Oyo state ranked No 1 with 2,680,635 registered voters while Rivers state ranked No 2 with 2,473,419 registered voters out of nine states (INEC, 2011). With 2,473,419 registered voters for the 2011 presidential election, the state ranked No. 6 out of the 36 states in terms of overall voting strength. Similarly, Rivers state ranked number one in the south-south geopolitical zone in terms of voting strength. Hence it is therefore not a surprise that there is a face-off between the ex-governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the national leadership of the PDP over control of Rivers state. The way forward The political and electoral violence in Rivers state arising from the 2015 presidential election and the protest on the March 29, 2015, led to the imposition of a curfew in the state. But it is clear now that the measures taken then were not enough to curb the bloodshed in the 2016 election rerun. Hence, need I stress that more is needed to protect lives and property within the state. Many have called for the enforcement of a state-of-emergency. However, beyond that move, here are recommendations for the government and people of not only Rivers state, but Nigeria as a whole. There is a need for a security review within the state, as well as other states within the country. Solid arrangements must be made by security operatives to promptly respond to emergencies. Deployment logistics need also to be reviewed to minimize the risks attending vote compilation and counting. In order to further ensure improved elections, security management and reduced risk of electoral violence, challenges recorded with electoral materials should be corrected urgently. Beyond election materials and adhoc staff preparations, its is essential that traditional rulers, community leaders and all at the helm of affairs must cast aside their personal interests for the good of the people. Hence it is important that efforts are intensified to educate the people on the essence and value of ensuring that free, fair and cordial elections are conducted.
Nigerians must act according to the age which we have attained. It is tragic that we continue to allow ourselves to be fooled by the utterances and perhaps money of devious politicians: politicians who do not really care about the welfare of the citizens.

Many are calling for a state of emergency in Rivers state

We should be able to discern between good and evil: these politicians cannot continue to play God in the corridors of power. We operate a democracy, hence the power should reside with the people. The government for the people should be one suited to satisfy their innermost needs. In conclusion, dozens have been killed in Rivers, for what should have been a peaceful election of servants of the nation. And this is no thanks to the unguarded actions of two leaders currently serving the nation. It is sad that in the end all that has been heard of the gruesome murders is a flimsy promise of a proper burial and stipends that will be dished out as compensation. The major actors in the drama of shame have retired to their abodes unscathed, and those who should hold their heads in shame continue to appease the gods of the media. The government is quiet and the people are silent: at best all they do is murmur. However, I must state here that if we were a people with conscience and a nation with a well-defined structure, then the key players in this show of disgrace would either be behind bars or stripped of their positions. For uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, and to whom much is given, much is expected. And that much is not and never will be to incite violence. The blood of the slain in Rivers still calls out for justice, and the question remains: shall we deny them their rights as we have always done or shall this case be used to set a precedent?