23 July 2008
editorial
Hardly does a day pass without one reading about claims and counter-claims of assassinations leveled by one highly placed individual against another. The frequency of these claims should be cause for worry. A few examples can suffice here.
The most recent case happened just yesterday with officials of Abia State government alledging an assassination attempt at the State Governor. Early this month, opposition groups in Bauchi state raised alarm alleging plot by the state government to assassinate some key figures including some journalists accused of being against the Isa Yuguda's administration, an allegation which has since been dismissed by the government. Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun state who is currently involved in a running battle with members of the State House of Assembly has, through his chief of staff alleged assassination attempt on his life. The Akwa Ibom state governor, Godswill Akpabio recently complained of assassination attempt against him . Similarly, claims and counter -claims have also come from members of the National Assembly and their State Assembly counterparts as well as party officials.
There is the temptation to want to dismiss all these claims as wild claims from the fevered minds of politicians angling for one advantage or the other. But that will be far off the mark when it is recalled that there are several such assassinations yet to be resolved. Nigerians are yet to be told those behind the mysterious deaths of some prominent politicians, including Chief Asari Dikibo, Harry Marshall, Bola Ige, and Funsho Williams to mention but a few who all lost their lives during the tenure of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. So far only a few of those cases have resulted in prosecution as Police investigations so far have not revealed anything tangible and helpful to apprehend those who perpetrated the acts. Be this as it may, we however believe in the adage which says 'there is no smoke without fire,' thus there is need for further investigation, especially where names are publicly mentioned. This is imperative in order to avoid seeing these claims acted out like the ones listed above.
It is also important to note that several reports have attributed this development to the high level of desperation for power by politicians. And this is because politics has become big business, and by extension the easiest way to acquire wealth and get rich quickly. The high level of corruption that permeates every segment of political leadership has indeed made nonsense of our value system. Therefore, the scramble to acquire power by all means and at any cost rather than through the ballot has become the norm, which is why during the 2003 and 2007 general elections, the country witnessed several politically motivated killings, thuggery and hooliganism of the highest order. Various political groupings and camps were formed, and the teeming unemployed youths recruited and used as tools to settle scores with opponents. Arms and ammunition and all sorts of weapons were easily provided by politicians to these youths to carry out their dastardly acts. This tendency created the emergence of the Egbesu boys, Yan kalare, Area Boys and Bakassi boys etc who freely brandish assorted weapons at political gatherings in the glare of security agents.
It is on this premise that we believe time has come for the registered political parties to re-orientate their members towards instilling discipline, decorum and good behavior always. By so doing, the motivation to serve rather than to loot the treasury would be encouraged and there will be sanity in the contest for power. It will also reduce intra party squabbles and promote purposeful leadership. We also urge the police to thoroughly investigate all allegations raised, and where names are clearly mentioned and those suspected fail to substantially acquit themselves they should be made to face the whole weight of the law.
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Perhaps, it is nature's way of helping Nigeria. If these hyper-mafia-type educated leaders turned thieves can kill each other without the intervention of soldiers, they are doing a good job to rid the country of it's cancer. Go ahead and assasinate each other and let us start again. It is better that starving the rest of us. Just see a thief called Almieyeseite(meaning the works of the rich have brought us evil) instead of Alamieyesigha(meaning, the rich can do no evil) swimming in wealth after his disgraceful exit from politics! Had he died in office, we… [Read Full Text]