CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI, - ONE GOOD TURN DID NOT DESERVE ANOTHER YOU SHOULD HAVE LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE

CRA’s campaign flag off ceremony yesterday got me thinking, especially following the hitherto unheard revelations made by one time governor Chief Rufus Ada George, in the run up to the April gubernatorial elections in Rivers state. Many observers in recent times have stated that the two formidable opponents Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the incumbent governor has to contend with are most likely the duo of Celestine Omehia and Abiye Sekibo. How this scenario came to be is probably one of the most discussed issues with over a thousand and one spins in the state. What concerns me is the fact that if anyone had probably told CRA that fateful day in 1992 when he entreated the then Governor of the state, Chief Rufus Ada George to appoint his older cousin (Celestine) as commissioner in his stead, that Omehia would one day in typical Epic movie twist become his arch rival, CRA in his characteristic feisty way would most likely have called such a harbinger of “false prophecy” a joker. For me all I could think of when I had George’s comments was “CRA, you should have just “let sleeping dogs lie””.

But sadly that’s exactly what played out when Omehia sacrificed filial loyalty in exchange for the mandate
that had been “stolen” from CRA in 2006. I sometimes wonder if Omehia in his quite moments regrets his decision of accepting Odili’s offer and maybe wishing he had done thingsbdifferently by turning down the offer and choosing the path of integrity instead. A few moments where he could picture himself walking away, I can only imagine what would have been the result of that action. What I know though for a fact, is that no matter who else it was that accepted that offer, the court ruling would still have ultimately favoured CRA.

I mean, lets imagine Omehia’s hands were tied and he chose to accept Odili’s offer on the premise that he would be a better person to serve as custodian of his brother’s mandate rather than have it go to strangers, so why the long face when the verdict was announced in CRA”s favour ?. It became a classic case of the second wife who thinks that because she has held sway in the absence of the estranged first wife, she should still hold sway when the first wife returns home.

Like a nerd who had suddenly found his MOJO, Omehia went to town, praying the courts to overturn the verdict, reports even abound of how a gubernatorial candidate of a well known opposition party who had earlier on withdrawn his case at the tribunal contesting PDP’s victory in the state once CRA took over the reins of power, was offered monumental amount of money to reinstate his case against the party. I guess when he finally realised that indeed “Power belongs to God”, Omehia withdrew with his cronies to Abuja on what I felt was a permanent political hiatus borne of reasons best known to him.

You can imagine my apparent wonder at, his short lived sojourn at the Labour Party and his reemergence as the flag Bearer for APGA. One is wont to wonder what Omehia really wants but then again it’s not farfetched because from what I hear, power once experienced is difficult to relinquish. In all, I sometimes wonder what goes through CRA’s mind when he thinks of all these.. Does he wish he had spoken differently to George on that day with the hindsight whatever thing providence had in store for Omehia it would still have come to pass and even if 2006 would still have happened there would have been devoid of a sense of betrayal? He must feel some pain no doubt because this is like a classic case of biting the finger that feeds you. but maybe sometimes CRA would wish he had just LET WELL ALONE and probably entreated Rufus Ada George on my behalf…hehehehe..well that’s just my POINT OF VIEW