The nation is in dire straits because those in control of affairs in Nigeria behave as though they are above the laws of the land and are never held culpable for their actions.
The Nigerian Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio GCON, is a man who has had his “chi” cracked for him. His gods, whoever they are, have been extremely fair to him. At an age when most of his classmates are scouring the streets searching for jobs, the most unfortunate becoming “bricklayers”, Akpabio, spelt as “Kapadia” by the computer, was already in government, first as commissioner for special duties in Akwa Ibom State. You wouldn’t believe that Akpabio was once a teacher in a secondary school. But by dint of hard work and focus, he settled down to read law and later qualified as a lawyer. Akpabio, only 62 years of age, has been so lucky that after only a few years in practice, he became CEO of a Lagos-based telecom company.
His stint as a commissioner endeared him to the powers that be, and he was to benefit from that by being nominated and subsequently elected as governor from May 2007 to 2015! That’s quite a heavy achievement. Akpabio. transited from there, contested and won election to represent his people of Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district. From the senate Akpabio was appointed as Minister of the Niger Delta from where he left to contest the “presidential election primary”. Despite losing, he was ‘smart enough to ‘rush’ back, manipulated the law, and got back his ‘ticket’ as a senator to represent his people again in the senate. Now, as senate president, with so much wealth and power, you would think Akpabio would be utterly focused on his job as a foremost lawmaker. But ‘success’, unknown to most people,e is a mystery. As it were, most successful people appear not to be content; this word is missing from their dictionary.
Otherwise, having ‘conquered’ every other challenge, Akpabio ought to have sat down and “appreciated” himself. That appraisal would have gone a long way to save him from the unfolding drama and embarrassment. Remember, he got entangled with the former acting MD of the corrupt-ridden NDDC, where he was accused of something unpalatable. Somehow, he managed to escape that slur, mainly because Nigerians are pathetically indolent and forgetful. And now, perhaps the biggest so far, is to be accused of the same thing by another lady, this time, the fiery Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan! Whao! Three names all at once! It seems to me that without the attachment of “Uduaghan”, perhaps the name Natasha Akpoti wouldn’t have sounded a bell. But the Uduaghans are money-bags and have made good for themselves while holding sway in Delta State.
No one knows exactly why Akpabio should take on a ‘married woman’, maybe it has been a secret practice; but something gave way and that’s where we are today. It is very possible that Akpabio did not handle the fallout well, unlike former governor Yahaya Bello, who employed dirty tactics in his tango with the same Akpoti. As sitting governor, he had a running battle with her; he did not want her to come to the Senate, but the lady was too fast for him. Don’t forget that when his tango with her got messier, Bello ordered that the road leading to her house be destroyed; the others he ordered people to dig craters around so that people would not vote for Natasha! She survived anyway. At this point, Bello deserves some commendation because he was not to be ‘tricked’ by Natasha’s beauty.
Of course Bello is known to be crude and very brutal in dealing with perceived foes. Where Bello excelled, Akpabio failed. And that’s the problem. Another thing to bear in mind is that the Red Chambers, where they both work in the National Assembly, crawls with temptation; that’s a place that glitters like Hollywood where senators in their oriental regalia’s and sweet smelling perfumes parade themselves! Then, add the allure of money, which oozes sweet aroma around the premises. You would guess that the ‘devil’ himself would cherish that kind of environment. The Bible has warned that we should be mindful of how the devil roams about, seeking whom to destroy. Yet, things still happen. Love may be blind, but we ought to make it “see road” by our actions. Akpabio shouldn’t have toyed with a ‘married woman’, whether Natasha or not.
It is unlikely this case would have burst open if Akpabio had been more circumspect. But because success came so easy for him and he didn’t have to sweat for anything, thereby allowing carelessness crept in. Carelessness and pride- that’s what took over Akpabio. That is the chief architect of this raging storm. Yes, pride! You cannot be a senator, minister and governor not to have pride’. After all, Akpabio had famously said, “what money cannot buy, more money would?” So, imagine with all his ‘bread’ and still being scorned by a woman, in a ‘contest’ where more money could have ‘produced’ dramatic results? Here lies the problem. From all indications, Akpabio got it wrong; with the world at his feet, he needed to be focused and his legislative duties. Akpabio could have sat down and helped to turn the fortunes of Nigeria around.
For example, Akpabio could have initiated laws that would exempt the elderly, men and women from age 60, from paying taxes; secondly, he could have initiated bills that would have exempted the elderly from paying transport fares anywhere in the country. If that is not enough, Akpabio could have launched a campaign to ensure that newly married couples are given free accommodation. Yes, this is possible in Nigeria; Akpabio could have initiated Bills that would have forced landlords from collecting two years rent; he could have forced Estate Surveyors and Agents from collecting “20% agency plus service charge, caution fee, security fee and all such nonsense! We also don’t want to talk about Bills that would have enabled qualified young men to walk casually into Banks and obtain viable loans for their projects; these are regulations that would have made Nigeria livable.
Or is it the arbitrary price increases by marketers that are reasonable and left unchecked? There are so many things Akpabio could have helped correct, but because he ‘wangled’ his way into the senate and because in Nigeria, the crooked usually find their way, that’s why you have cases like this Natasha versus Akpabio. So, it is no surprise. It is their time. In a little while, they will be gone. Time resolves all unresolvable issues. And we would look back and ask: what will Akpabio be remembered for? If only Nigerians were more careful, they would guide their voters card properly. If that happens, people like Akpabio would never have smelt the senate not to talk of being a two time governor.
