Recently the Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands Ambassador Orji Ngofa launched a media tirade against the Senator representing
Rivers South East Senatorial District Magnus Ngei Abe over what he says is the plan of the Governorship aspirant in Rivers state to destroy the All Progressives Congress APC led by Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.
Ambassador Ngofa in the interview gave the impression that he was very close to Senator Abe and considering the interest of his party in taking over
the Rivers Brick House come 2019, sees the ambition of Senator Abe which he has pursued legitimately as the biggest threat to the party come 2019.
As I read through the interview, I sensed where Ambassador Ngofa was coming from and I must stress that I saw what ambition can do to the thought of the noblest of men.
Ambassador Ngofa having enjoyed the best of patronage from the former Governor of Rivers state and current Minister for Transportation aside pushing him for the post of ambassador to the Netherlands with the attendant benefit he may have gotten from the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) when considering the place of the Netherlands as a major hub in port activities, as well as his ambition to become the next Senator to represent the people of Rivers South East
after Senator Abe, can go about twisting facts so as to foster the undemocratic activities of his master Chibuike Amaechi.
But one thing he failed to realise is that no matter how fast lies may move, it will surely be overtaken by the truth.
First and foremost he has to realise that Senator Abe has the full legitimate right to contest for the position of Governor of the state even as I believe also that Rotimi Amaechi has the full right to support whoever he wants to support for the position of Governor of the state. But one thing he failed to address is if the former Governor went about his support with decorum, utmost respect for legitimacy and
the rule of law. He also failed to realise that the fact that the Minister for Transportation seeks to support a candidate does not mean that the candidate must win at all cost.
If the party can decide not to give its governorship ticket to the annointed candidates of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and
Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state as well as Governor Yari of Zamfara state all because in their view they believed the governors were trying to foist candidates on the party which in their opinion they saw as
undemocratic why then should they allow the same scenerio to stand in Rivers state especially considering the fact that the said candidate that is been foisted does not have the clout of Senator Magnus Abe neither has he been a member of the party. The party was not built by ghosts. Does it not amount to double standards? Why did the party dance to the tune of the Minister for Transportation by conducting an indirect primaries in the state while accepting direct primaries for other states with lesser issues as that of Rivers state?
Ambassador Orji Ngofa ostensibly showed that his much celebrated closeness to his Ogoni brother Senator and governorship aspirant was not real but
all politics. He has never been close to the Senator neither has he shown interest in the aspiration of his Ogoni people to be partakers in the leadership of the state. If he had such interets, he wouldn’t have come out publicly to make such infamous assertions on the person of Senator Abe and his legitimate
aspiration to lead the state.
One thing he has failed to understand also is that unlike other aspirants who showed their desperation for power by defecting on the slightest
opportunity available, Senator Abe has remained with the party and supported the party especially President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term ambition. His only offence seems to be his desire to use the
legitimate opportunity available which is the law courts to recover his mandate as given to him by the people.
Interestingly, the judgments of the courts have favoured him because he knows what he is doing and has gone through it with decency.
If the likes of Ngofa and other antagonists of Senator Abe are interested in the progress of the party in the state they should do the right thing which begins by respecting the judgments of the law courts especially that of the highest court of the land. Ambassador Ngofa is an ambassador to a country where they respect the rule of law. Is it not improper that he admires what they do there while he detests the same
thing over here in his country? He clearly shows what many Nigerians who have travelled abroad have failed to do which is to bring back home the lessons they have learnt in foreign lands. Nigeria will not grow if we continue to behave this way.
Senator Abe is on the right path as far as democracy is concerned.
Falling for the whims and caprices of a singular individual whose pride and ego is destroying the party does not show a man of character it only shows a man desperate for power and that is what Ambassador Orji Ngofa clearly represents. He is an opportunist who is desperate for the position of Senator and wants to do all he can to desparage Senator Abe in order to get more support for his senatorail project. If he thinks he has succeeded, he
may be making the greatest mistake because he has ended up showing the kind of person he is, an ingrate of the highest order who cannot be trusted when all is rosy. With such a friend like Ngofa, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe does not really need an enemy.
Nwokoma Messiah wrote from Abuja
