‘Rivers Politics Characterised by Deceit, Fake Loyalty’
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
A university don, Dr Gift Worlu has noted that Rivers State politics is characterised by deceit and fake loyalty by ambitious politicians.
Worlu, a lecturer with the University of Port Harcourt, made the remarks while reviewing a book titled: “Through the Slippery Slopes of Rivers State Politics: A Personal Memoir’, authored by Tony Okocha a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers.
Reviewing the book, Worlu noted the need for forgiveness and reconciliation in Rivers political family to end the 2012 crisis, which according to him has caused the rift between former governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and successor, Nyesom Wike.
The book reviewer also said there must be review of internal democracy in the political parties else there would be no progress. He recommended the tools of diplomacy as a must in handling conflicts and in solving political disputes.
Worlu, who said that Okocha was part of the madness that has become Rivers politics, commended him as the author of the book for exposing the things that make Rivers politics toxic.
He said politics needs ideology and that the book is a symbiotic analysis. He recalled that John Luscio had conceptualised the social contract of politics, but that Okocha’s book shows that it is not working in Nigeria.
“The book also admits that there is no clear-cut ideology in Nigerian politics, and this is even for all of Africa. African politicians do everything to grab power first and think later”.
He said those seduced by power would like the book. “It is said that the only purpose of politics is access to power to develop the people, but Nigerians only know about stomach infrastructure.
“No man can be trusted with absolute power and this led to the search for democracy by trying to get a system that does not make one man too powerful. That was how the one-day president system came about where the Greeks didn’t want one man to rule for long but qualified man to rule for one day, until they eventually settled for democracy whereby every qualified person joined to select one person to rule for a given term.
“It has exposed why Rivers politics is toxic. The Forward was written by Williams Wodi (PhD) who wants Rivers politicians to understand that power will not be with one person forever.
So, there is travesty of leadership. Okocha says ambition is not bad until it becomes inordinate. Politics in Rivers State is characterized by deceit, and fake loyalty. As reviewer, it is important to state that even the author, Okocha, shares in the blame in the madness that is called politics in Rivers State.”
He, however, called for more books by other politicians, according to him, to promote healthy debate that may heal the politics of Rivers State.
“The book tells of the Rivers APC crisis. It also detailed failure of Rivers APC in 2019 (inability to field any candidate). Rivers people should give Okocha credit for unmasking the political contractors that have ruined the polity,” he said.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the presentation of the book Okocha said: “I just believe that knowledge is the cross fertilization of ideas and I had experiences working in government.
“Whatever intellectual work anybody does if it misses the target of intellectual edification or future research, then you throw it to the trash can. I also decided to do it so that you people in the press will not see us as trouble makers but that we can also go into intellectualism”.
On the seeming over concentration on the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, he declared that his intention was not to malign the former minister.
“The truth of the matter is that as I said I was encapsulating my personal experiences and part my personal experiences in life and particularly in the sphere of politics will be incomplete without the mention of his Excellency, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. I’m also of the APC slant right now”.
