Now That Mbu Is Out …

Last Thursday’s
redeployment of erstwhile Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, to Abuja may have calmed some frayed nerves, but events that characterised his regime in the State are still fresh in some minds.
The reason for this is obvious. Never had Rivers State witnessed a situation in which a Commissioner of Police was at daggers drawn with a Governor of the State to the point of arrant impunity becoming the order of the day for almost one year.
While many have hailed Mbu’s redeployment in Abuja, some sections of the political class are not in a haste to say it is uhuru yet.
In the words of Hon. Victor Amadi, the legislator representing Etche Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, “it (Mbu’s redeployment) is a welcome development, and I can say it is in the spirit of democracy. But let me say that the Police is a professional institution.
“So, if Mbu goes, and the person that takes over from him does not play the script of his ‘paymasters’ in Abuja, and decides to be professional, it will be good for our democracy”.
In the same vein, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, also hailed the development, but added that unless the new Police boss decides to be guided by the Constitution, it will merely amount to putting a new wine in an old bottle.
Speaking through his Press Officer, Jim Opiki, Rt. Hon. Amachree said, “We feel that the Police authorities have finally listened to genuine complaint about its officers. We, therefore expect that the in-coming Commissioner of Police will operate in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
He recalled that one of the allegations against the former Commissioner of Police was that he was not operating in accordance with the Constitution.
“The law is not respecter of anybody; it should be fair to everybody, organization, etc, in the State.
“Don’t change the rules; apply the same rules to everybody. We also hope that the in-coming Commissioner  will operate in accordance with the Constitution, in alliance with the government”.
As Ogunsakin resumes as the Commissioner of Police in the State, political pundits have reiterated the need for him to do away with what they prescribed as “Mbu’s diary of impunity”.
Mbu’s trouble started on April 15, 2013 when Justice Ishaq U. Bello gave the judgment that declared Felix Obuah as the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in place of Godspower U. Ake. The same day, Mbu sent five troopers and over 25 Policemen to seal the state PDP Secretariat in apparent anticipation of an onslaught from the opposition.
Four days later, Mbu, in an attempt to justify his action, told reporters, “We are supposed to obey the court’s judgment. We are here to enforce the law. For now, judgment has been given and we stand by that judgment until there is a contrary order. Anybody or group of persons that attempts to cause tension in the State will be dealt with ruthlessly”.
On the 22nd of the same month, the State House of Assembly suspended the Obio/Akpor Council Chairman and other council members based on petitions bordering on allegations of financial impropriety and other fraud-related allegations. The next day, a Caretaker Committee led by Mr. Chikodi Dike was constituted and sworn in.
On the 3rd of May, 2013, Mbu without recourse to Governor Amaechi sealed the Obio/Akpor Council Secretariat with riot policemen and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), claiming there was a bomb scam. Nine days later, Hon. Justice H. A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, ordered the Police to vacate the barricade at the Obio/Akpor Council headquarters to allow the caretaker members and staff access into the council. But within 30 minutes of the withdrawal of the policemen, the power generating house at the council was set on fire. As soon as the fire started, documents were carted away. Shortly after, Police returned and sealed up the premises till date. This, was allegedly done under the guise of protecting the council, thus compelling the caretaker members to operate from outside.
On July 9, 2013, the infamous fracas in the hallowed chambers of the State House of Assembly which led to fatal injuries sustained by some members happened in the full glare of the Police. It took the intervention of the Police details attached to the Governor to check the havoc done that day.
The impunity by Mbu continued on September 9, 2013 when he unilaterally withdrew the Escort Commander and some security officers attached to the Governor on the allegation that the Escort Commander and affected officers refused to furnish him with prior notice of the governor’s itinerary.
Three days later, Mbu ordered the Police to prevent Governor Amaechi and his guests, who were members of the Conference of Speakers from having access to the Government House.
The disruption of a rally by the Rivers State Movement on January 12, 2014 by the police at Rumuola where Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers State-East Senatorial District, was allegedly shot by the police was another sad memory Mbu left behind in the State.
Political pundits, however, say Mbu’s redeployment and subsequent replacement by Ogunsakin is one of the ploys by the new National PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, to ease frayed nerves in his quest to heal the wounds inflicted by erstwhile Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, on some key members, most of whom have defected to the opposition party, APC.
One impact that the whole imbroglio has made on the people is that Rivers people, and indeed Nigerians, have become more aware of the extent to which the Police can be compromised.
With the new man at the helm of the police affairs in the State, it is expected that the State will begin to experience peace and a crisis-free political landscape.

Joseph Mbu And Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi