Can Fubara Tame the Monsters?

The setting up of a seven-member panel to investigate killings and destruction of property at some local government secretariats in Rivers State by Governor Siminalayi Fubara is certainly one good way to put an end to frequent destruction of public infrastructure in the state.

Recall that last Monday, hoodlums razed sections of three LGA secretariats in the state – Emohua, Eleme and Ikwerre – to prevent the elected local government chairmen and councillors from resuming their duties. 

Five persons were also reportedly killed during the violence that occurred at some LGA secretariats.

The pre-and post-election crises in the state were exacerbated by conflicting court orders and pushback from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Following the crisis, the governor last Tuesday inaugurated the panel to unravel the causes of the violence and individuals responsible for the attacks on LGA secretariats in the state.

He vowed that his administration would bring the perpetrators to book no matter the personalities involved.

However, since the offences involved are of criminal nature, which may require the intervention of the police for the arrest and prosecution of culprits, one wonders how the governor can bring these monsters to book, given his strained relationship with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun over the alleged partisan role of the police in the crisis in the state.

Already, Fubara’s camp had raised the alarm on an alleged plot by the police authorities to frame members of the camp with fabricated charges and embark on their massive arrests.

According to Fubara’s camp, that was how the IG ordered similar raids on the leaders and supporters of the PDP in Edo State who were detained in Abuja a few weeks prior to the recent governorship election in the state to weaken the party and reduce its chances of victory in the governorship election.

They believe the same forces fighting Fubara in Rivers State were the same forces that fought the PDP in Edo State.

Again, with the shameful role of some Nigerian judges who have become part of the challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy, the likely event of one of the parties procuring court orders to stop the probe is strong.

Whether Fubara has the capacity to deal with these monsters or not will be known in the coming weeks.