By LANRE ADEWOLE

On May 24, 2022, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared then-Accountant General of Rivers State, and 58 others, wanted for N435 billion fraud.

The commission, In a statement by then-spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the money-man and four other government officials were also needed to answer for N117 billion fraud, criminal conspiracy, money laundering, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office, all, allegedly.

Suspected to be on the run, or in a hermitage, Uwujaren implored “the general public to assist in apprehending the Accountant General and other suspects”.

Today, the alleged fugitive, Siminalayi ‘SIM’ Fubara is the executive governor of the State, with full constitutional immunity from exacting arm of the law. Uwujaren, who declared Simi a concierge of crime, is out of his seat today. Life is a riddle.

The time between when he was declared wanted and when he assumed office with full constitutional immunity, was a whole year and five days, meaning that a force(s), greater than then-brashy EFCC boss, Abdullahi Bawa, kept Simi from interrogation and the lemon uniform of Awaiting Trial inmates in Nigeria.

The constitutional touch-not mark upon Simi is evidently engraved by his predecessor and volatile Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, though many have argued that the former governor settled for the “civil servant” successor, without a political root or base, to become the governor-emeritus and ward off accountability troubles, out of office. Within months, whatever Wike agenda that got Simi the seat, has crumbled. The Rivers political god refused to harken to history.

16 years ago, then-Abia governor and now senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, pulled a similar stunt, dazzling then-President Olusegun Obasanjo and his supposed attack-dog, then-EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu, now Nigeria’s top spy master, to prematurely enthrone Theodore Orji, his then-Chief of Staff, as his successor,

Days before May 29, 2007 when another lawful transition should take place, Kalu somehow pulled Orji out of EFCC detention on administrative bail and ferried him to Umahia, for an early coronation, to doom the alleged fraud case against the governor-elect, obviously targeted at nabbing Kalu, after his tenure.

Then-Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN rightly declared the premature inauguration unconstitutional and illegal, because Kalu’s then-deputy, Eric Nwakanma should have taken office if the governor was quitting early, not the governor-elect. But Obasanjo’s government somewhat allowed the illegality slide.

That pounded yam of 20 years however, almost incinerated Kalu’s tongue when on December 5, 2019, a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, sentenced him to 12 years in prison for N7.65 billion fraud, committed as governor. It took 12 years for him, to get 12 years jail term, but the Supreme Court, declared a mistrial on technicality and ordered a retrial, which never took place. But what can’t be erased is that Kalu was in prison, maybe as a VVIP; the fate he was trying to avoid, by conjuring the Orji’s illegality. Both went on, to becoming ranking federal lawmakers and today, do not see eye to eye. The juice eventually didn’t worth the squeeze.

For eight years, Fubara was Wike’s bagman. From being a principal accountant with the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board, to emerging as the director of finance and accounts at the government house in 2015 when Wike became governor, then permanent secretary and the AG, Simi managed trillions of public funds, for his boss. He was Wike’s SIM Card for government to function.

SIM, as communicative terminology, means “Subscriber Identity Module”. It is the card that essentially holds subscriber’s identity data and stores memory. No user, would want it damaged, stolen, missing or not within sight, whether in use or not.

But when a SIM card, with incriminating data and culpable memory, is going to fall into a wrong hand, most time, especially as wont with criminals, it gets destroyed. Wike, has, by deliberate design, acquired the persona of a ruthless politician; an implacable bulldozer when riled, backed by a loaded arsenal of human and material assets. Add that, to the consistent pushing of the boundary of his loyalty to the President. It is widely believed that the much-loved police commissioner, Tunji Disu, was sent to the state when the crisis between Wike and his SIM began, to help the Minister maintain relevance at home, while tendering the FCT.

Emerging realities from the state, do not suggest a walkover for Wike. Despite his laid-back visage, Fubara is a barrack boy, who can be garage, as manifest in the wrong-headed, wasteful demolition of the partially-bombed assembly complex. Because he is also an orphan, all manner of fathers and mothers, would start showing up for him, now that his godfather is engaging in a dogfight with him.

Events of the last few days have also shown that Tinubu’s intervention and solutions to the state problems, aren’t working, just like his curious political solution to the Ondo State stalemate. It seems the president is past trying to be impartial in politics. Eleven years ago, he publicly said it wasn’t his thing.

At the 4^th annual Bola Tinubu Colloquium, marking his 60^th (???) birthday, then-governor, Raji Fashola had said he was asked by the lower cadre members of the party, to prevail on the Leader, “to dispense justice equally to all members”.

Jagaban would not let it go. He reply-reprimanded his “boy”.

“If there is no partiality, you cannot be governor yourself. Ask them not to give me the task that I will not be able to deliver. What I had done consistently in the past, why would I want to change at 60. I have succeeded with that behaviour and sorry, I will not deviate from it” he countered.

At least, he was truthful enough and you don’t become left-handed at the old age. If the president wasn’t even considering being a father for all, 11 years ago, it would be foolhardy to think his current office has converted his vices, to virtues. Only that he now has greater capacity to crush heads when taking sides, which obviously buoyed him to demand an undated resignation letter from an elected deputy governor. Though I would wish a different person as Ondo governor when Aketi is out, the Constitution says it must be Lucky Ayedatiwa in the absence of Aketi as both hold joint mandate and since we haven’t transmuted into complete baba-o-cracy, it is a good omen that the ambitious Ondo deputy, ignored Villa.

Looking at how quickly the détente worked by Tinubu has collapsed in Rivers, a free-for-all is surely loading in the state and the president won’t be a bystander. Ordinarily, the governor should deserve no pity because he must have received some article of faith from then-governor before 721 delegates were commandeered for the “civil servant” to beat 16 other aspirants including seasoned politicians. If he is breaching it, his benefactor will have the right to kick. Unfortunately, nothing about the budding blockbusting head-knocking, which is setting the state on edge, is about Its 7,492,366 million people. Even from what has been publicly acknowledged as the root of the rift, it has all been about individuals, alleged betrayal and political survival. The lot of the people of the state isn’t a factor in the fight but it’s now at stake. Because the supposed father of all is a self-declared partisan, those out of his favour, particularly the governor, would have to seek refuge elsewhere before their scalps are used for early morning pap.

I foresee bloodbath in the state. I foresee judiciary being dragged into the brewing mess. I foresee a repeat of Anambra of July 10, 2003 when a sitting governor was abducted, locked up in a toilet, his forced resignation demanded, maybe, without the Okija nudes.

But I also foresee the people’s wrath rising to the boiling point. The breaking point may not just be too far, especially when a perceived underdog, is being overtly pummeled. River will flow in Rivers. May it not be of blood in Jesus Name. (Sunday Tribune)

Update news