RIVERS STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER SHOULD RESIGN OR BE FIRED.

Icheoku was very much around during the second republic when the fight for supremacy between then Vice President Alex Ekwueme and also then Anambra State Governor Jim Nwobodo over who controls Anambra State reached a feverish climax. A time it was when Ekwueme's Abuja deployed Commissioner of Police Bishop Eyitenne to Anambra State with specific instruction to muscle Governor Nwobodo and frustrate him and his government. The situation got so bad then that Jim's Vanguard masking under the State's Road Safety marshals were transformed into armed rival vigilante-force in the state and effectively drew the line in the sand. It was so tensed that every person alive and living in Anambra State could feel the coming tornado and waited for its touchdown

Icheoku like any true son and daughter of Igbo-land was in the Zeek's party - the NPP. Partisan politics coming so soon after the end of shooting hostilities of the Biafran war, no right thinking Igbo person was expected to be in any other party but the NPP (Igbo Party), talkless of being a member of the Hausa/Fulani NPN party after what they did to Igbos during the war. A member of the youth wing led by Anike Nwoga and private secretary to local government NPP chapter's chairman and so effectively was in the know and highly partisan. It was the same period that then returned exile Odumegwu Ojukwu's 'IF' (Ikemba Front or whatever that acronym stood for) had a gun-duel at Nkpor junction with security details of Governor Nwobodo, acting from the same play book from Abuja's NPN party in power? Icheoku recalls that Bishop Eyitenne's confrontation and disrespect of democratically elected Governor Nwobodo became so flagrant that even court orders were wantonly disobeyed by him; his police motorcade was bigger and noisier than the chief executive governor's; as well as other sundry irritable and very provoking words he spewed out concerning the state and how nobody in Lions' House can tell him what to do therein. Icheoku recalls too how NPN thugs including the notorious bandit "Santana" ran amok and did as they pleased in the state while the Commissioner looked the other way. Ditto, the impunity with which other NPN high-ups in the state trounced about without recourse to law and order or any decorum. All these, with their Abuja minders, supervised by Ekwueme, providing cover and needed cash to nest their wantonness, all in an attempt to wrest power from the governor and his NPP and turn the state at all cost over to the NPN so that the vice president could "WIN" his own state for the party. 

Quite a showdown then it was, between a duly elected democratic governor of a state and a mere civil servant police commissioner, who ordinarily should have been there in Anambra State to carry out security instructions from the head security official of the state, the executive governor. But with tacit instruction or rather direct orders from Abuja, Eyitenne descended on Anambra State with one purpose - to help NPN take back the state even if it means foisting a total breakdown of law and order through reckless provocations. Icheoku says but for the intervention of Muhammed Buhari's coupists in December 30, 1983, no one knew exactly how it would have turned out and what would have become of such several flash-point states including Anambra State. It was sure headed to a conflagration, a clash of powers and eventual precipice. 

Regrettably, Nigerians are so daft and hardly learn from past experiences and history. Case in point being the current standoff between Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Commissioner of Police Joseph Mbu of Rivers State. With the Nwobodo and Eyitenne feud as a backdrop, Icheoku wonders how security could be ensured now in Rivers State where the chief security officer and the chief security enforcer doesn't see eye to eye. A case where the falcon cannot hear the falconer in Rivers State will lead to a complete breakdown of law and order. Anarchy, being let loose in the state, things are sure likely to completely fall apart, security wise speaking. Icheoku without mincing words or taking sides; but matter of factually speaking, says that Rivers State COP must and should, as is required in every well organised civilized society, submit himself and subsume himself under the authority of the governor who was elected by the people of the state to provide them, among other democratic dividends, SECURITY. The governor is the first person in the state before whom no one else comes, hence reserves the right to speak on matters effecting his state including its security, ditto the security officials therein and that includes the commissioner. It is therefore rebellious for the commissioner to question the motives of such a chief security official of the state and in his state.

Icheoku says where the COP's ego becomes too bloated that it now comes in the way and he cannot find himself working under and with the governor, he should seek a transfer out of the state or resign or be forced out. But a situation where a civil servant is calling an elected political leader of the state names is unbecoming of a supposedly non partisan security enforcer. Icheoku therefore condemns as uncalled for, unwarranted and beyond pale, the recent alleged statement attributed to COP Mbu that Governor Amaechi is a tyrant and a dictator. In the commissioner's own words "“Our governor is very tyrannical, he is a dictator. He wants everybody to say ‘yes sir’ to him and I said I will not say so. I am a professional." Icheoku adds as a professional, don't the commissioner know that he is supposed to carry out instructions without muddling himself into its politics or is his own professionalism different from that word defined? Icheoku queries, by joining issues with the governor and actually disobeying a lawful order to "say yes sir to the governor," is the commissioner still entitled to remain on his job a day longer? Recall that the same hothead commissioner was redeployed out of Oyo State to Rivers State just in February this year for unlawfully invading the Ashipa of Oyo's palace. Now he wants to use the same wantonness tactics in Rivers State and thinks he will succeed?

Irrespective of whatever be the provocation/s, at least the commissioner should have sought and used back room channels to explain how he felt to the governor but not in anyway the frontal press conference approach. His avenue of choice is rather a total show of disrespect for not only to the governor but the people of Rivers State whose mandate he duly possesses, at least until his term expires or is forced out by political vendetta and/or vindictiveness of Abuja. Admitted that protesters should conform to rules of engagement when they march by seeking necessary police permit, except where it is unreasonably denied, but Mbu's outburst is unbecoming of a civil servant. Therefore Abuja and President Jonathan must prove to Nigerians that the commissioner is not acting their script by letting him go or at least deploying him out of Rivers State at minimum. In the US which Nigerians officials frequently make references to whenever it suits their talking point, Army General Stanley McChrystal who was then commanding war operations in Afghanistan, was forced to fall on his sword because of some disparaging remarks he and his troops made about and concerning the persons of President Obama and his vice Biden or rather "Bite Me," according to the alleged.

Rivers State's Commissioner of Police has no right whatsoever to second guess the state's reason for "not being happy with him." He is a civil servant, not an elected official, hence his opinion is irrelevant until sought by his superiors. His honor code should and must remain to salute and take a bow and implement what he is asked to do, provided it is not criminal. He should and must do as told or resign or be forced out of his office if he does not want to obey lawful orders of his superior or in his own words be "subservient to the governor." If the kitchen in Port Harcourt is becoming too hot, let the darn commissioner find the exit and get out; but he must leave politics for politicians or better still take off his uniform and join the fray. Icheoku says if according to the commissioner he agrees that the "office of the governor is a respected office," why then is he disrespecting it with such a disparaging public remarks, calling an elected democratic governor a dictator and a tyrant? Icheoku queries what else would the commissioner "tell the world in his next interview on why the governor is against him" since he had already said it is because he does not want to be "subservient" to him? Be that as it may, Icheoku hereby call on Rivers State Commissioner of Police Mbu to resign or for Abuja to redeploy him out of the state and in any other event, fire his police-arse for antagonizing and bringing the office of an elected democratic governor to disrepute by branding him a dictator and a tyrant.