Opinion: In These Days Of Their Incendiaries; A Call For Discernment.

By Azubike Ihemeje

I understand that one Kofi Bartels has been very bitter, angry and unhappy on radio against the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr Mustapha DanDaura.

He’s very sad to witness the tremendous success and improvements in security situations of Rivers State.

Kofi can’t just believe that gone are the days of his famous “Rivers of blood”. Perhaps he wishes the armed robbery and daily kidnappings to continue. He’s obviously incensed that our streets and communities are safer now.

Kofi is not even aware of the present security situation of hitherto no-go-areas like East-west roads of Emuoha and Ogoni axis, and Elele- Ubima to Owerri.

No! It’s not his business. His mission is for mischief. His target? Gullible listeners.

One might ask what his objectives for the incendiaries are. He craves only for the bad news against the police and against the State Government. He wants to hear bad news about insecurity, killings, maiming, kidnaps, cultism, victimization, etc. He wishes we could return back to those days of heavy criminalities.

Then, he’ll position himself as an armchair analyst, and unleash vituperation against the State and heavily tongue-lash the police. He is a mercenary. And a very bad one at that.

He’s not even pretending about it. Kofi has absolutely nothing to lose even if the entire state burns down. He’ll simply relocate and vanish immediately. But the sad irony is that our people are the ones calling in and hailing him to continue! The very people who would suffer the immediate detriment of the confrontation and insecurities are the same people cheering him up to continue.

We haven’t learnt anything from history about people with mischievous propaganda. They’re always often attractive in speech and in voice. They appear very nice to us, almost messianic even. We think them to be very altruistic.

Our gullible people be like; ‘Eyaarh such a nice guy. He’s soft-spoken. He speaks Queen’s English. He can’t possibly have ulterior motives.’ Rubbish!

Truth is, Kofi’s motives must be something less than altruistic. From all indications, that guy seems more sinister than we can imagine. His brand of journalism is not just dangerous, but it’s also hugely inflammatory, incitive, destructive, incendiary and contributes absolutely nothing to solutions.

Very recently, well spirited, honest and right-hearted individuals have approached Kofi to relax the manner he demarkets Rivers State, as such is capable of driving investors away. They specifically reminded him of the improved security situation of the state. And advised him to give the Commissioner of Police some credit. But to their chagrin and bewilderment, Kofi vehemently refused to yield to reasons.

In fact, he told them that he’ll continue to speak ill of the Police unless they make the CP come and speak on his radio program. Na waooh!

So, the CP should leave his office, and forget about the myriads of Situation Reports around the State he’s inundated with, and visit Kofi in the studio? Cheiiii

Truth is; the real performing CPs hardly play to the gallery. This CP is not a politician. He’s not campaigning for votes, neither does he need a million Kofi Bartels for validation. A good CP minds his duties and the results, in terms of dividends in security speaks for him.

For it’s not everyone on radio that has the best of our interests at heart. Some people mask their selfish motives behind pseudo activism.

Abeg, let us apply some discernment in these days of their incendiaries, for the days are wicked.

A word is enough for the wise.

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