Amaechi, Sekibo and Kidnappers
With the micro cases of kidnapping activities in Rivers State, the perpetrators of the devilish act are making us people of little faith. As residents, they have been making us to walk the street and not to be certain what the next minute holds, after an
excruciating spiritual exercise. They are like a mouse feeding on a big python. This aftermath militancy kidnappers seem to be unstoppable in the state and have hardened their resolve to attack harder and kidnap people at will, from compounds to the streets and everywhere. However, they are meeting their waterloos.
The wife of Senator George Sekibo, representing Rivers East District in the National Assembly, who was kidnapped along East-West road while returning from the University of Port Harcourt and was later released, typifies the threat and fate of the residents. Mrs. Asime George-Sekibo perhaps didn't had the premonition of what was to come her way on that faithful day with three other women and a child who were in her company.
Kidnappers are very big fools and senseless owing to the immeasurable measures Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State have been putting in place in making sure that the state is a safe haven for all and sundry with his assiduous fight against the event of militants that once characterized the state which could be said was the epicenter of the kidnapping activities in the Niger Delta.
With the recent resurgence of kidnappings in the state, shows that certain immoral persons are just feeding their hate of Rivers State and the citizens without any reason for such. Is this not a terrible inferiority complex that someone would wake up in the morning and all that he or she could do was to go and kidnap his or her fellow Nigerian for the lucre of it? This is sympathetic!
The best we had hoped for was that by now such activities would have abated, but the responses the kidnappers have been giving through their ugly trade are clear signs of serious looming danger around us. Quite appalling that people are hungry walking the streets with baked hope because of looter-politicians which has got a pedigree in kidnapping.
The worst unfortunate thing is that people now rejoice in the misfortunes of others. What has happened to people! Have people gone insane? During the period Madam Sekibo was held captive, there was many unconfirmed comments in certain fora, and among them is: 'A job well done by the kidnappers. While commending the kidnappers on this one, I want to state clearly that they should not hurt the woman and those in her company most especially the baby coz they are innocent. The kidnappers should demand for a huge sum of money as ransom so they can also eat from the national cake. Insensitive senators! The Boko Haram should concentrate on these thieves so that they will learn some real lessons in their next life'.
What a comment of animosity! But it goes a long way to indicate the mind of ordinary Nigerian against his or her leaders. Those that were not kidnappers have become haters of their environment because of acrimony of the leaders to good governance. To the people in this negative school of thought they were of the opinion that the chickens were coming home to roost and hoped that more kidnappings of innocent citizens might change the stone heartedness of majority of the leaders to finally understand what the poverty ridden people of Nigeria are going through. Who was aware that just recently a senator was robbed at gunpoint by his driver? This is the garbage of ruins of a nation.
While this writer sees any form of criminality as stupidity and ignorance, Amaechi should care about the welfare of Rivers residents by walking his talk. People pushed to the wall will always ricochet like a ball, when they are subjected to poverty. No honour amongst criminals! Be they looters or kidnappers. The leaders should grow some brain that some people are not just happy and are showing their lack of empathy in such act as kidnapping and militanting and Boko Haraming.
However, we are praying that this anomaly called kidnapping and sundries should stop. It is no where an economic growth with any potentiality for export to any Nigerian. While many aggrieved persons will not bother to condemn this monstrous act of kidnapping, every well meaning resident of Rivers State should condemn it totally. Amaechi is at least, doing his best to putting security in place towards a better Rivers State no matter all the shortcomings that the government is facing, which come with miscalculation in governance.
Save for all that the state is facing in term of governance, it is a sorry thing seeing anyone glorifies the kidnappers. Such glorification does not solve the common bitterness of people against the greedy and wicked leaders, even though that it shows it. Hence, Amaechi has to reiterate his pledge of his administration's preparedness to assist the state police command to build on the peace and security in the state. He should also look at the roads again.
Now that he has received the new state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Indabawa, he should insist on him to build on the comparative triumph of his precursor, Sulaiman Abba, as well as convey in his own know-how to preserve peace and safekeeping in the state. With this we will be optimistic and prepared for a safer Rivers State where people will no longer soil their hands to make a difference and every Rivers resident will be so excited deducing that kidnappers and looter-politicians will not make our Rivers State to fail.
Odimegwu Onwumere, Poet/Author, Media/Writing Consultant and Motivator, is the Coordinator, Concerned Non-Indigenes In Rivers State (CONIRIV); and Founder, Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State. Mobile: +2348032552855. Email: