By Tony Okocha
A GROSSLY MISPLACED PRIORITY
Rivers State people woke up the penultimate day to read about Donation of 100 pieces of Vehicles to the Rivers State Police command by Governor Fubara.
What is most absurd to know that whilst Rivers State people are complaining of excruciating hunger, (even those Governor Fubara sponsored recently to stage a protracted protest in Rivers State, intended to embarrass President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, didn’t prevaricate in informing the Governor that hunger is real).
The rudderless Governor didn’t see need to heed to our counsels pro-bono and those of wellmeaning Rivers stakeholders, to mirror what other States Governors are doing in their respective States at this critical time in history.
Such infrastructural and human development projects/programmes as we read in States like Niger, Akwa/Ibom, Taraba, Lagos, etc, intended to alleviate and cushion the effects of hunger and the concomitant aftermaths, do not make sense to Governor Fubara.
In these States and more, Tractors and farm implements are gifted to Farmers to enhance Agricultural production and the positive of food sufficiency and security.
Food items are bought in several mind~blowing thousands in Trailers and gifted to citizens, to alleviate and ameliorate hunger.
Unfortunately, in Rivers State, a clueless administrator chooses to donate ‘confirmed 7th hand rickety vehicles’ to the Rivers State Police Command.
A hundred pieces they claim.
Only yesterday, a day after the vehicles were donated by a Governor, who is in the voyage of currying support and favour from any tse-tse fly that he identifies.
What is the relevance of this donation to hunger experienced and expressed by Rivers State people?
What is the connection between Police vehicles and empty stomach?
Has Police Command been removed from the EXCLUSIVE LIST wherein only the Federal Government is responsible for recruiting, management, and funding?
Is Rivers State embroiled in large scale insecurity issues for which case the Governor’s quick intervention was necessary?
Just what reason order than to grandstand and visibly curry favour evinced in donation of very rickety vehicles to the Rivers State Police command.
Did Rivers people entrust him with the powers to self~serve and audacious act at their own peril?
Did the Governor not study the elementary topic in Economics/Commerce, namely, “Scale of preference “?
Is it preferable to donate vehicles to a Federal Agency (Police) at the chagrin of Rivers State people?
Governor Fubara blindly frolics into condemnable inanities, and we so condemn.
He has actually not added to the “zero mark” we and other critical watchers scored him during our critical assessment of his One year in office. Rather, he deeps more into unconscionable inactivities.
Granted that he stepped into a very big shoe in the Governance of Rivers State, but he should have walked the road with style and cover~up the whooping space.
In his case, he showed rudderlessness caused by the penchant for a radical departure.
Advisors that besieged his early beginning didn’t tell him that sustainable change is not a by~product of rascality.
Alas! What useful advise can political scavengers offer to a system order than those of pecuniary and self interests
Government in Rivers State is in the galos. “Who will bell the Cat?”
We note that Governor Fubara’s wrong preference in procurement of rickety vehicles and donating to the Police and his free spew of innuendo while presenting the vehicles, isn’t in tandem with the reality of the moment. It merely underscores our correct phrase “cluelessness of a Government. ~ “Rivers State is not worse in insecurity issues except Governor Fubara as mouthed Chief Security of the State is making us know that we are.
If his intention and those of his Illegal ilk who parade as “Sharemen” of Local Government Councils in Rivers State, in donating unsound vehicles to the Police Command, which is very insulting, is to browbeat or cajole or blackmail the Police Command to vacate the Councils gates against the Law, then they had better smelt the coffee and know that they are on a wild goose chase.
We don’t speak against the Police and/or any security agency operating in Rivers State, vis~a~vis any necessary assistance that may be extended by Rivers State Government. We only dare to say that the preference of Rivers State citizens particularly the “have nots”, cannot be donation of decrepit vehicles bought with humongous amount that accrue through Federal Allocation and Rivers State Tax payers’s money to the Police Command.
Come to think of it, the Rivers State Police command under CP Olatunji Disu, has shown professionalism which endeared him for a great award by the National Command and so undeserving of Gov. Fubara’s diatribe as he freely spewed while presenting the vehicles.
Thus, any vehicle to be gifted to the Police by Gov Fubara, should be brand new, as others did hitherto, not Decrepit ones .
We have witnessed donations of brand new Hilux vehicles, bullet-proof SUVs, Armoured Personnel Carriers, Bullets proof vests and many more.
No one raised an eyebrow because it was absolutely necessary at that time.
The Holy Bible we read (including Gov. Fubara) reminds us that “There is time and season for everything.”