By Thomas Peretu
It is egregiously disheartening, if not disgusting to infer, with exactitude that the greatest enemies of the Ijaw nation are the Ijaw people. “Pull him down syndrome” is a pass time that is fast acquiring an endemic proportion especially in this political dispensation.
This rude, shocking fact is threatening to tear us apart. Thereby widening the trust deficit between our leaders and the people.
The evidence is all about us in the public sphere– giving credence to this line of thought. Howbeit, sadly.
Ask any of our past and present leaders privileged to have occupied positions of authority and influence. Their answers are always the same. Many of them have been victims of vitriolic criticisms authored by vacuous nitwits dressed in the garb of interest groups.
This statement of fact is anchored on empirical evidence. And it remains incontrovertible. Whether we accept it as truth or not.
To believe anything else is to negate the truth which implies that one is living in a fool’s paradise. After all, what shall it profit me if I indulge in deluding myself or my audience? Let’s face it, isn’t it about time we tell ourselves the home truth and nothing but the truth?
And I say this with a great sense of responsibility having watched the trend of events in the media in recent times.
Or how else does one explain the avalanche of malicious petitions flying left, right and centre written by faceless youth groups and individuals orchestrated to vilify albeit tangentially, the person of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programmer, Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd). He is a refined gentleman and officer who is sacrificing his time and name to redirect the affairs of PAP in the best interest of the ex-agitators. He is the long awaited avatar of paradigm shift in the matrix of the agency. Yet these persons would not share in his laudable vision because their vision is blurred by selfish interests.
Come to think of it, Gen Ndiomu has been in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons as a result of his determination to obstruct the old order of sleaze and corruption in the system.
Indeed, some persons are ill-at-peace with the innovation he has introduced into the administration of the programme. From September 15, 2022, when he assumed office, there has never been a period of respite. The attacks have been consistent and deliberate. They have used all forms of arsenals including blackmail to malign his integrity in order to distract him from his house cleaning exercise. It may interest you to know that local publishers and bloggers who were unable to extract filthy lucre from the IA have also joined the fray by using their outfits as channels of hostility against the gentleman.
There is no justification for such frivolous and mindless attacks because those engaging in this arm-twisting game lack a clear understanding of the operations of the programme. Hence, they are embarking on a mission to dwarf his efforts at changing the narrative of the programme. Albeit, for the good of the ex-agitators.
Why do we hate ourselves with such vehemence? Why do we indulge in the campaign of calumny against our leaders? Why do we take delight in pulling down fellow Ijaw men in positions of authority?
The answer is not far fetched. It is obvious we are envious of ourselves. And we are usually intimidated by the successes of our brothers and sisters. But this should not be the norm, instead we should be our brothers’ keepers. No nation, and I mean this in a very narrow sense, progresses when the people are small minded. How long shall we continue to fight ourselves? How long shall we continue in this trajectory of destructive politics? We need to learn from other nations i.e the Yoruba and Hausa nation– how the people will go the extra mile to protect and project the interest of their leaders.
It is instructive how other nations treat their leaders with care and candor. They would rally round to support their leaders, while we go arms in hand to damage the integrity of our leaders. Why do we take pleasure in bringing down the roof over the heads of our leaders. Why?
The renewed campaign of vendetta against Gen Ndiomu is ill-timed and totally unnecessary. Therefore, I admonish all well meaning, public spirited Ijaw opinion leader to condemn this war of attrition against Gen Ndiomu.
How many times have we heard or seen the Arewa community protesting against the managing director of NIMASA or NPA? This is an unwritten taboo. So, why are we turning the heat on our own leaders? I take consolation in the fact that Gen Ndiomu has refused to be steamrolled by naysayers. If past Administrators of PAP had the presence of mind to effect the needed changes at the time, we would have gone past this disjunctive debates and protests. It would have saved the new administration, the trouble of putting the house in order by righting the wrongs of the past.
Gen Ndiomu is a forthright, visionary leader, an astute administrator, and ardent student of accountability. He has brought innovation into the administration of PAP by introducing the Presidential Amnesty Programme Cooperative Society Limited. The cooperative will set in motion the sustainable prosperity of the ex-agitators.
Let’s give Gen Ndiomu a chance to succeed. Let’s support him instead of painting his initiatives with black tar.
Gen Ndiomu is the right man for the job at a time like this. Let’s rally round him. Now.
*Thomss Peretu is a social commentator and public analyst.
