Kas Nwogu
The Senator representing Rivers East senatorial district has described a former commissioner for transport in Rivers State as a fool.
In a letter by the former commissioner titled ‘Magnus, Wike, and Judiciary’, Hon. Tolufari had accused Senator Abe as working with Governor Wike through the judiciary in order to distablise the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
Tolufari also described Senator Abe as a drowning politician.
In response, Senator Abe has described the former commissioner and the group who believes the entire judiciary conspired against the minister of transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, because Governor Wike gave him money to sue the entire Rivers State APC as fools.
In his words, “Fools like you who either peddle the story knowing it to be false or actually believe it that the entire judiciary (State High Court, Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court) conspired against an innocent Amaechi, who did nothing wrong. Wike just gave me to sue you, and gave the entire judiciary money to rule against you. That’s your group”.
In a two page response to the former transport commissioner, Senator Abe maintained that his struggle to be governor of Rivers State has been well received by well meaning Nigerians noting that Rivers East senatorial district is the only senatorial district yet to produce a governor of state.
He therefore called on Rivers State people and Nigerians at large to disabuse their minds from those bent on tarnishing his image as he is resolute in ensuring Rivers State becomes a better place.
The response in full
My brother Tolos, I read your piece titled MAGNUS ABE, STOP THE MISCHIEF, with some amusement.
Ordinarily you said nothing new, pretty much all you said was the same MAGNUS, WIKE, AND JUDICIARY theory, and I can live with that.
That story has been peddled in this country for the past two years. By now I know that Nigerians are divided into three groups:
1. Those like me who know that the story is the figment of a failing leadership that cannot accept responsibility for its mistakes and misdeeds;
2. Fools like you who either peddle the story knowing it to be false or actually believe that the entire judiciary (State High Court, Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court ) conspired against an innocent Amaechi, who did nothing wrong.
Wike just gave me Money to sue you, and gave the entire judiciary money to rule against you. That’s your group,and
3. Then there is of course the third group of Nigerians who simply do not care. They don’t care if WIKE AND AMAECHI are working together, they don’t give a farthing if you work with Wike. They just want us to get our acts together, they want us to stop destroying our state, they want to stop seeing Rivers state in the news for all the wrong reasons. They want an end to the orgy of hate and violence in Rivers politics.
In fact Tolos they don’t care if it’s AMAECHI, WIKE , COLE , ABE , anybody. They just want an end to this madness.
My research and interaction with Rivers people show that the majority of Rivers people belong to that third group of Nigerians who sincerely do not care. They just want us to get Rivers state right, so they can live in peace and prosper.
4. So there is really nothing you said that deserves my response. Those who believe what you are saying have made up their minds. Those who do not believe it also have their minds made up, those who do not care, still will not care, few undecideds are left.
So those accusations no longer deserve my response but you are my contemporary and my colleague, I therefore owe you a duty to respond to anything you say to me in public, lest the public misconstrue my silence for disrespect and you know I can never disrespect you.
It is really unfortunate that our years of friendship have now ended with us former brothers and comrades trading words and accusations in the public space, something we both know that we should never do no matter the circumstances, but since you have chosen this path to please the Minister let me join you.
I will just respond to a few things you said.
First you said Dr Lloyd was not speaking for anyone. That is not true, He was invited and appeared on Politics Today to present the views of the Amaechi faction. At what point do you separate his views from that of the group for which he was speaking?. Moreover, Amaechi himself has been reported on tape making the same kind of remarks.
Besides these were the same people who told Mr President to his face that they did not need any help from him, except for him to come and thank them when the job is done. So what is wrong if I advise them to desist from bad behavior?
Secondly, it is on record that nothing was said of the President’s achievements in Rivers state during the Presidential rally in Port-Harcourt. The rally turned out to be about the lion and how he made all the politicians in Rivers state. The other high point was of course the war dance.
I still maintain that the APC would have done much better in the polls if we had concentrated on getting our people to the polls and using any advantage we had with security to protect voters, protect the votes, and police any hanky panky in the electoral process.
You said I am drowning man, clutching at straws. wrong. I am not drowning because I am not at sea. Obviously the drowning that you are referring to is that I will not get a government position after I leave the senate, because I was not elected Governor. In that case you have been drowning since you left office as Commissioner for Transport and you are still alive. The fear of drowning cannot stop me from doing what I believe to be right.
As you are well aware I am not alone in this struggle. We promised our supporters that power rotation in Rivers state must be done on the basis of senatorial zones, and that the next Governor of Rivers must come from the Rivers South east senatorial district, the only senatorial district that has not produced a Governor In the history of our state.
Furthermore we agreed that the Minister will not on his own handpick the next Governor of our state, we must have a say. Your current rantings is a clear indication of how far we succeeded.
Lastly, I refused to negotiate my constitutional right to contest for the ticket of our Party. As we speak we have made that point rightly or wrongly, without arming youths, sponsoring violence or killing any Rivers man or assassinating anyone’s character like you tried to do to me.
In the process of this struggle we have earned the trust and respect of a lot of ordinary Nigerians, therefore we cannot drown. If I go home today, I retire to the bossom of my people because I made their case and the country took notice. If that is drowning I can drown happily .
But, you, my brother Tolos actually run a serious risk of drowning in misery, as Rivers State Commissioner for Transport for eight years there was no serviceable jetty in Port -Harcourt from which your own people from Bonny could board their commercial boats, you will recollect that I called you severally to call your attention to this great disservice.
As Commissioner for Transport, Rivers State Government imported boats bigger and better than those in use by NNLG. Those boats rotted away at the Naval base in Rumuolumeni, while Bonny sons and daughters drowned in the sea, but you held on to your desk in the ministry of transport because you were afraid of drowning, if you dared to open your mouth.
You embarked on a policy of building motor parks in the forest and wasted billions of tax payers money because you were afraid that if you dared to suggest that this things were impractical, which you complained of severally in private, you would drown. I never heard your voice even when you were commissioner trying to explain to Rivers people the policies that you executed as commissioner but today you have suddenly found your voice, because you are actually drowning.
Like I said your statement or letter, really deserves no response , you ended with a song from Fela Anikulapo Kuti saying:
“One day go be one day,
One day go be one day,
those wey dey steal money for Government”
Good song! As you drive past your motor parks in the forest, as you drive by your monorail pillars,
as you think of the jetty for Bonny people there is a more appropriate song for you by Owawumi, it is called ” if you ask me.
if you ask me,
Na who I go ask?
The matter wey we see so
e tey wey e start.
No be me go talk am
e heavy for mouth”
Tolos , my brother, if dem ask you, na who you go ask?.
I rest my case.
Magnus Abe
