Abia Government And The Alex Otti Assasination Atempt
There is a saying “there is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible as the conscience that dwells in the heart of everyman”. There is also a quote from Cicero which goes thus, A guilty conscience , never feels secure’. I must point out that there is absolutely no evidence that the Abia state government or anyone acting on its behalf was involved in the Alex Otti assassination attempt at the Abuja guest house where he was staying last week. Neither did Dr Alex Otti in his press beefing on the matter point any accusing finger at anyone except to say he was leaving the matter to the Police authorities to investigate.
But that did not stop the Abia state Government through its media adviser Mr Ugochukwu Emezuo from quickly jumping into the issue and challenging Dr Otti’s version of what happened, including its veracity. Mr Emezuo went further to claim that he spoke to an unnamed Police officer in the PPRO unit in Abuja who denied knowledge of any assassination attempt on Dr Otti’s life , thereby accusing Dr Otti of playing politics with a crime that did not occur.
Now the surprising thing here is not whether an attempt was made on Dr otti’s life, because as he Otti revealed at that press conference , other attempts have been made on his life in the past, especially since he actively started campaigning for the Abia State governorship. Rather what is baffling here is the way the state government quickly waded into the issue, attempting to deny culpability albeit through self exoneration . An act of ineptitude, which with all its fertility of conjecture exposed the Ikpeazu administration as assanine and irresponsible.
Their reaction was to my mind a cheap claptrap revealing a disturbing display of ignorance and of humbug or perhaps of both, unworthy of a state government. It was a less charitable comment that was wretchedly botched and unstatesmanlike. They were acting like a guilty individual trying his best and screaming the loudest, all in the attempt at deflating public attention and accusatory fingers from pointing at him but Unfortunately in so doing, attracts more public gaze and attention to himself.
If I was advising the temporary Governor I would have told him that rather than reacting the way they did, they should have acted with caution and decency, expressing sympathy with Dr Otti and joining thousands of Abia citizens who wish Alex Otti well in thanking God for delivering him from the clutches of the assassins. But they did not do that. Rather their action was a remarkable indication of smaller intellect growing smaller. Even with public condemnation of their action, they seem to have doubled down.
Blinded by self righteousness and cloaked in their full armor of evil and devilish sentiments, they have failed to see the error of their ways .They essentially have become a temporary government which continues to cultivate more thorns in the bosom of society.
Personally I hate people saying anything stupid. I don’t suffer fools, very well at all, but when people act like idiots or when a government that is supposed to speak for its citizenry make insensitive comments as that made by the Abia state government on this matter , it stresses me out, as it should, all well meaning Abians. It is true that every individual or government is entitled to its own stupidity, its just that the Ikpeazu temporary administration has abused this privilege. They have taken stupidity and insensitivity to a new low.
There is no doubt that the attempt on Dr Otti’s life most definitely has something to do with his contesting the Abia gubernatorial elections and his subsequent challenge of the election results in the tribunal now sitting in Umuahia. There is also no denying the fact that his elimination will bring about the end of his tribunal case. A case that according to recent reports is not going too well for the respondents. But the issue of whether the Abia state government or any of its sympathizers are involved in this assassination escapade is all a matter of conjecture at this point even though thousands of Abia citizens may tend to disagree.
There is no doubt that right now, the political climate in Abia state is very charged with groups who think it is their birthright to rule the state at this time bent on circumventing any law of human decency to hold tenuously to power. To them the issues of competence, financial integrity, accountability and decency is of no importance as long as power is in their hands. In Abia state today it is as if the word change is of no importance or relevance, yet it does exits and continues to be fermented in the minds of thousands of Abians who 3 months since after the election are still hoping for change and the return of their mandate
Dr Alex Otti should know that there are thousands of Abians at home and in diaspora who wish him well and who continue to pray for his safety. As the words in Psalm 27 aptly states and which I will paraphrase, “The lord is his light and salvation. The lord will protect him from all dangers and when evil people attack and try to kill him, they will stumble and fall’. Once again the lord has heard your prayer and my prayer and he has kept his promise. Like Dr Otti himself will say, those who have made attempts on his life do not seem to have read in the bible where it says ‘Do not touch my anointed”.
These biblical references not withstanding it has now become very obvious that as Igbo’s, our politics have changed for the worse. We have now become intolerant of our fellow Igbo’s and those we consider our political opponents. I will tend to believe that those who tried to assassinate Dr Otti, are not Hausa’s or Yoruba elements but our fellow Igbos, who probably thought killing him in far away Abuja would deflate attention and suspicion from them or their sponsors. The reality is that as a people we are now willing and ready kidnap, torture and even kill so as to gain or hang on to power.
Power, whose major reason for seeking it is primarily to steal. What is more depressing is that ordinary citizens who have no chance in hell of seeing the corridors of power or partaking in any of its largess or crumbs are willing to put their lives at risk or sacrifice the welfare of their families by being willing tools of violence by unscrupulous politicians. But this is what we should expect as a consequence of illiteracy and ignorance.
Like the northern political elites who have continued to keep their youths in a perpetual state of poverty, servitude, illiteracy and ignorance, thereby making them a willing army to do their biddings, we in Igboland have let some of our politicians use us as sacrificial lambs in their quest for power and self aggrandizement. This is the reason why in all of Igbo land we need a change. A change of leaders. Leaders who will eschew violence and practice good governance, financial prudence and due diligence.
Even though many Nigerians do not have any confidence in our police force or security officials and for good reason, we must however hope that, just this once they will do their due diligence and apprehend the culprits for this crime. As we thank God for saving the life of our principal, we must not fail to remember and pray for the family of the dead policeman who lost his life in the line of duty.
Like any young man who goes to work everyday, his family expected him home at the end the day but that was not to be. Let the hoodlums who killed him live with their conscience if they have any. As for Dr Otti. Thank God for your life and stay blessed.
Nnanna Ijomah is a New York City resident from Abia State