Rivers State: Life After Mbu

It was a climax that was inevitable and largely predicted by the politically sane class of our fledgling democracy. At some point, it looked like erstwhile Rivers state commissioner of police, Joseph Mbu, was playing god with his position. His excesses were becoming nauseating, and it was only a matter of time before he went into perennial irrelevance. It is instructive that all those he was doing their biddings, couldn’t save his face from the shame that accompanied his redeployment. Mbu’s story is another tragic plot for political sycophants and eye pleasers to learn from: The principal can always dismiss the subject when push comes to shove.

Without stretching the bounds of demands, it is obvious that the new commissioner of police in Rivers state, Tunde Ogunsakin, has his job well cut out. There is no elixir to merry over at such times. The new CP has promised to ‘be fair to all.’ While such statements could suggest a new lease of life for the state, one wonders if his job is really to be fair to all or do what the police primary mission is: Protection of life and property. He should lose less sleep in trying to be fair, because fairness in itself is relative. Try as hard as he might, the detractors will always produce their merchandise at the rumour mill.

Ogunsakin’s deployment to the state should in no way be perceived as a victory of some sorts for the Ameachi faction. The governor and his supporters have not been without blemish in the quagmire, and the new CP should be careful of even Ameachi himself. When all is said and done in politics, it’s boils down to interest. Perhaps, it is not an exaggeration to say that politicians are shameless hypocrites who speak from both sides of their mouths. A reference will suffice here: Rivers state governor, Rotimi Ameachi, recently said that the PDP has failed Nigerians. He might be right; however, he should quit trying to con anyone. This was the same PDP he was elected as speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly and served for eight years. Indeed, it is the same PDP he has been in as governor until the recent imbroglio. It is easy to haul stones when we are at the other side of the divide. He might be a changed man now, but let him and other ex-PDP vandals spare us all of their many sermons of how the PDP is the worst thing that has happened to Nigerians since the Civil war.

For Tunde Fashakin, his first duty will be to try and redeem the soiled and largely battered image of the Nigerian police in the state. Restoring confidence will not come overnight, but he must give the many people of Rivers state a reason to believe that they can live again without a cloud of impunity hovering over them. Ogunsakin’s resume suggests that he is one of the finest products of the force. He enlisted into the Nigerian police force as a cadet assistant supritendent of police in 1982. He was also a former director of operations in ICPC. Ogunsakin was in charge of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) before his new role. Thus, it’s a precedence that tells us of a man who will give the people of Rivers state a peaceful and lawful environment. However, until words and C.V translates into action, there is less reason to start shouting uhuru.