By Frank Ulom
For about two weeks now, my brother, Odama, has been denied freedom, which is his right, all because he criticised Governor Bassey Otu on social media. In a democratic Republic ooo, or should I say, a Demo-Crazy republic. It is well.
Only in Nigeria will an employee boss their employer; manhandling, beating, threatening, arresting, locking up, etc. Will such a thing happen at Mfamosing sing, where the Chinese (employer) are allegedly abusing, insulting, assaulting workers (employee)? Can the employees do to the Chinese what is being done to Odama?
For God’s sake, leaders in a democratic Republic like Nigeria are employees of the people. They eat, feed, lavish on the wealth (taxes, resources) of the people. Yet, they treat the people like a piece of shit!
Before you come to me to say what Odama did, bla bla bla. I’ve seen the screenshot of his supposed comment on Governor Otu’s social media post, and it reads, “That woman in the ministry of sport, does she have your nude? Why not replace her with someone that can revive sporting administration in the state.” Indeed. Meanwhile, my findings show this is just secondary. Odama had complained about threats to his life, business, and family beforehand. Yet, the same government saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property never saw that.
Now, back to the comment most circulated by those backing the arbitrary detention of Odama. I am surprised that a metaphorical statement could be twisted to suit narratives; even so-called legal practitioners have passed judgment already, making it look like, if Odama is being jailed, then they wanted to jail him, not because of the truth.
Before me, a friend of mine, I know he’s reading this, told someone on the phone, “if he’s holding his kidney,” based on the way the person, whom I think he gave a job to do, was calling his phone line(s). Another metaphorical comment.
A look at both. In common sense, they mean the same thing: “Is she having/am I holding something important to you?” A simple English phrase we learnt at school is now a debate of over 3 million people. Kpash!
Like Prof. Agba, Jonathan Ugbal, etc, said, if you feel you’re being defamed, you have to prove it. Now, while incarcerating him when you’re yet to prove his comment is defamatory? Why arrest him in a Gestapo-style manner as if he stole Cross River State money, which you’re sitting on?
We’ve seen previous governments and the current one insult, abuse, assault, embarrass, manhandle, cause the death and loss of property of Cross Riverians; no police arrested them, nor were they remanded nor imprisoned. I would mention but a few. During the previous administration, pensioners- aged, vulnerable, sick- were made to suffer; some even died in the process, just to collect the money the government deducted from their salaries to pay them when they retired. I covered one of the many verification processes: a pensioner (old) fell into the gutter, and his nakedness was exposed. Isn’t that insulting enough? We’re seeing the same in this current administration. The government has taken the livelihoods of many, leading to their deaths, some now with ailments they don’t have money to treat. We’ve seen people losing their properties because the government failed to carry out a simple remediation, among others. Who has locked, remanded or jailed the government? Who will?
There was a time when Ben Ayade was called “Ben 10,” “short man,” etc. Even though some of us faced the thing Odama is facing today. Gershom Bassey was called “Mortuary attendant,” to name but a few. The truth is that if someone is paying you, he/she can call you names and treat you the way they like. That is democracy. Ask America and the rest. No wonder they are a quintillion miles ahead of us.
I heard, “constructive criticism.” I laughed. Nigerians would always be Nigerians. See, criticism is criticism, wether constructively or dismantling or whichever way you choose to call it. And who told us that whenever we want to speak about leadership, it should be criticism-based?
To wash it down. My friends, the ones we eat from the same plates, have attacked me on shosho media for calling for good governance. I’ve been threatened. Some swore on their lives to kill me. I asked one a simple question: “You’re threatening to kill me; what would you do to death itself when it comes for you?” To date, I have yet to get a reply. People have threatened to kill other people but ended up dying before attempting to do so. This saying stands: “No one knows tomorrow.”
I’ve always been telling people that I live my life, putting myself in other people’s shoes, because till it happens to you, you won’t know how it feels.
Yesterday was Jalingo, Joseph Odok, Abang, Jeremiah Archibong; today is Odam, tomorrow might be you. Nothing lasts forever.
According to P-Square, “The way I’m living is not supposed to be the way you and I are still living. The leaders just dey chop money dey go because they think we all no dey see dem. They took away our right and make silly promises; they want us to believe dem. They look into our eyes and tell us say e go better while they are baggers still stealing. Why e be say anytime we want do wetin we go do or say wetin wey we go say. The wrong thing be say them no want make we dey do Wetin we go do or say wetin wey we go say. The right thing be say we supposed to do Wetin we go do or say wetin wey we go say…”
My advice, as an unofficial SA on Criticism Matters, to Governor Otu is that he should tell them to free Odama unconditionally and focus on governing the state. That’s his oath on May 29, 2023. No one can/quickly reach his/her destination if he/she keeps fighting all those throwing stones at him/her.
Thank you.