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‘Bobrisky’: Army’s Unfair Jab At Wike
Even the most casual exploration of the realm of paradoxes easily reveals the difference between lying and telling a lie. While in lying, there is the implication of willfulness, in the second case, the actor only delivers a message without liability for the content of such a message. A further exploration of this paradox easily betrays how much the modern world depends on reports and other communication that could easily fall into the category of half-truths, crass untruths and blatant lies. For instance, virtually all the books of fiction that define the literary culture of the contemporary world are chronicles of untrue situations. Taking it to specifics, who was Robinson Crusoe? Who was Gulliver of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’? Coming down to African literature who can trace the lineage of Mai Sunsaye, the lead character in the book, ‘Burning Grass’ by Cyprian Ekwensi? The common truth about these books is that they are mere fictional works built around typical figures that may not have existed and even if they did, may not have manifested exactly in the forms they were presented to the world.
Meanwhile, the world’s dependence on fictional reports is even more pronounced in the flood of daily briefings produced for top officials of government, business and clergy by subordinates, who could easily assert the liberty to forward mere figments of their imagination to higher authority, in place of credible eye witness accounts and associated dependable intelligence.
A recall of this paradoxical sojourn was spawned by a recent jab against the Rivers Governor, Chief Nyeson Wike by the Army in respect of one wanted ‘Bobrisky’ – presented in the public domain as a most wanted criminal. Incidentally, there is a real life Bobrisky whose birth name is Okuneye Idris, a male who straddles the internet with provocative posts of himself mimicking females and a portraying bohemian character. With an estimated networth of $250,000, Bobrisky’s show has a princely commercial value.
Meanwhile, acting out his missionary zeal in running the affairs of the Rivers State as the governor, Nyesom Wike had acted on the basis of otherwise credible security report, and placed a bounty of N30 million to be
paid to anyone who provides useful assistance to the capture of a fellow presented to the public domain also as ‘Bobrisky and who for the purpose of clarification in this piece will be assigned the name ‘Bobrisky 2’. The latter Bobrisky is reportedly a notorious criminals who with his gang terrorises the Ogoni axis of the state. Soon after the announcement of the bounty, the governor announced to an elated Rivers community that Bobrisky 2 had been arrested by the Army, and he was in the process of releasing the N30 million to the Army. No sooner had the words fallen out of the governor’s mouth that the same Army he was favouring turned against him by denying the arrest of Bobrisky2 by their men and specifically called him a liar.
The moral of the preview to this story is that even if Wike’s claim on Bobrisky 2 was false, he could not have been the author of the narrative. The entire package on Bobrisky2 could have been provided him by elements in the official Rivers State Security network of which the Army constitutes a critical component. And given that the Army was even the would-be primary beneficiary of the bounty, whatever report on the arrest that never took place could have come from military sources. By implication, therefore a lie was fed to a whole state governor who innocently paraded it to the entire state, only to be ridiculed by the very Army he was trying to favour.
While in the course of his busy schedule as governor, Wike may not be inclined to dwell exhaustively on such an issue, the public take on it goes beyond the governor’s response. The level of insecurity in the state has reached fever pitch with the governor launching a multi-faceted all-out war on the syndrome. Needless to note that in this onslaught against insecurity, the Army remains a most critical component. As the ultimate hard-blow response to wherever decisive physical action is required in taming the scourge and its sponsors, its contributions can never be over-emphasised. In that context, therefore, the Army occupies a pole position that renders their word and action of equal sanctity as gospel truth. Hence, having the Army portrayed as indulging in any circumstance that is associated with disparaging the governor of the state comes with a sour taste.
comes with a sour taste.
The Army can however still vindicate itself by clearing whatever mix up has come up in this saga, by arresting whoever the real character is, even with his obvious misrepresentation as Bobrisky, since even with another name, he is still the terror in the equation and needs a date with the soldiers. Especially,as the bounty is still intact.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 20 out of the 23 local government areas in the just concluded local government election in the State, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched three local governments.
According to the results released by the Rivers State independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), yesterday, the APC won the chairmanship seats in Abua/Odual, Andoni, Opobo Nkoro, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Khana local government areas.
APC also won in Gokana, Tai, Oyigbo, Bonny, Eleme, Etche, Omuna, Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Degema, Ikwerre and Emohua local government areas.
The Commission, however, said the PDP won in Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government areas.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr Michael Odey, who announced the results at the Commission headquarters in Port Harcourt, said Ofori Owolabi of the APC scored 28,755 votes to emerge winner of the election for Abua Odual while Solomon Ochomma, also of the APC, emerged chairman elect for Ahoada East after scoring 54,509 votes.
Odey said Eugene Epelle also of the APC scored 84,125 votes to emerge winner in Ahoada West, while Bob Fubara was elected the chairman-elect for Akuku Toru after scoring 63,593 votes.
Similarly APC chairmanship candidate Lucky Otuo Promise emerged chairman-elect for Andoni after scoring a total of 126,181 votes, APC’s George Onengiyeofori emerged winner in Asari Toru after scoring 56,383 votes, while Pepple Blessing Abinye garnered 13,543 votes to emerge winner in Bonny Local Government Area.
Other APC candidates elected include Michael John Williams who scored 16,536 votes to emerge chairman-elect for Degema Local Government; Obarlllormate Ollor (77,452) for Eleme; Dr Chidi Julius Lloyd (114,380) for Emohua; Njoku Boniface (100,649) for Etche; Confidence Deekor (96,478) for Gokana, while Wobodo Charles got 62,746 votes to emerge winner in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Other APC winners from the APC include Akuro Tobins (32,285 votes) for Okrika; Hon Obasi Uchechukwu (38,530) for Omuma; James A James (38,822) for Opobo Nkoro; Vincent Nemieboka (36,374) for Ogu/Bolo; Hon Mbakpone Okpe (70,080) for Tai LGA, while in Oyigbo, Okechukwu Akara scored 101,495 votes to emerge winner.
Meanwhile, the RSIEC chairman announced Dr Gift Worlu of the PDP with 328,823 votes to emerge winner in Obio Akpor; Shedrack Ogbogu, also of the PDP, scored 51,051 votes for Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, while in Port Harcourt City, Sir Alwell Ihunda garnered 235,054 votes for PDP to emerge winner.
The APC also cleared the councillorship seats in Abua/Odual, Andoni, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Khana, Oyigbo, Bonny, Eleme, Etche,Tai, Khana Opobo/Nkoro and Degema local government areas.
Similarly APC councillorship candidates also emerged winners in Asari Toru, Degema, Akuku Toru, Gokana and Khana while PDP cleared the councillorship seats in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt city, and Ogba Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Areas
Meanwhile, the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions has passed a vote of confidence on the just concluded local government election in the State.
National Chairman of the forum, Hon. Mamman Nda Eri, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Eri said all the chairmen across the country were in Port Harcourt to monitor the election as well as gain experience in an election under emergency rule.
John Bibor & King Onunwor
The National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) says that Nigeria is accountable for 70 per cent of 11 million illegal arms and light weapons in West Africa,
Mr Alex Ebimiebo, the South South Zonal Director of the NCCSALW, made the remark at the Naval Warfare Course 9 Inter-Agency seminar, organised by the Naval War College in Calabar on Thursday.
Ebimiebo presented a paper themed, “Strengthening Security Agencies Collaboration to Counter Illicit Arms Proliferation for Enhanced National Security in Nigeria.”
He said that the illegal arms dealings were largely responsible for Nigeria’s 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 26,000 refugees in neighboring countries.
Ebimiebo further said that arms proliferation had led to economic distortions, an increase in violence, crime, and impediment to peace building.
He, however, called for concerted effort from all Nigerians to tackle the menace, saying that NCCSALW would take the fight to the society since security is the responsibility of everyone.
“So, as a result, everybody is a stakeholder, so as such, we need to involve the whole society in this fight and the center has a lot of programmes for collaboration with our sister agencies.
”We also have advocacy and sensitisation programmes that we take to members of the general public from time to time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rear Adm. Akinola Oludude, Commandant, Naval War College, expressed concern on the influx of illicit arms into Nigeria since 2020.
He attributed this to the extensive borderline of about 4,470 kilometers between Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
He also noted that the nation’s maritime domain that extended over 853 kilometers of coastline and of the Gulf of Guinea had also not helped.
The commandant said that the 2021 survey by the NCCSALW revealed that over six million illegal weapons were in circulation in the country.
Oludude said that out of the figure, about 70 per cent were in the hands of non-states actors.
”The impact of this illicit arms proliferation is profound and multifaceted.
”These weapons bred various forms of insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, and armed robbery.
“Inter-agency collaboration is needed to tackle the proliferation of illicit arms and weapons,” he said.
Oludude said that no single agency, no matter how well-resourced, no matter how well-dedicated, could effectively tackle the complex challenge alone.
He stated that the nature of the recent arms proliferation demanded a joint and multi-agency approach.
“Therefore, this seminar provides a vital platform for us to collectively examine the complexities of this complex challenge,” he said.
Also speaking, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. Kennedy Ezete, urged the participants to translate the discussions and recommendations of the seminar into concrete actions.
He advised the participants to take the knowledge and insights gained to their respective agencies and organisations and implement them
According to him, “we must ensure that the suggestions and way forward developed here are implemented effectively and that the partnerships forged are sustained.
”This requires a commitment from all stakeholders, including the leadership of our security agencies and the wider community.
”Share your experiences, implement the strategies that have been suggested, and continue to work collaboratively to counter illicit arms proliferation.
“We must also continue to invest in training, technology, and intelligence gathering to enhance our capabilities.”
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