By Comfort Obi
I had no intention of commenting on the shame that took place in Niger State this other Saturday. It was beneath contempt. And since I subscribe, atimes, to the saying: “silence is the best answer to a fool”, I decided to ignore the scandalous incident where a State Governor, publicly, ordered his Security Aides to slap a citizen “well-well”. But my stance was before Wednesday, June 17, when I read the disgraceful denial, by the Governor, of the incident which scandalized every decent Nigerian.
This comment now is, literally, forced by that brazen lie, the brazen denial of the incident, watched live, thanks to the Social Media, by thousands of shocked Nigerians.
It is bad enough that a State Governor allowed his anger to, unbelievably, rise to that level, but to deny it, instead of acknowledging it and apologizing, is shameful and provocative.
However, as angry as I am over this collective assault on us all, I will try, as much as possible, to be respectful for only one reason.
Mohammed Umaru Bago – Niger State Governor
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
The guy at the centre of this incident, Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State, prefixes his name, like his colleague- Governors, with “Your Excellency”.
When one is referred to as excellent, one deserves some respect. But more important, two of the good Books – the Holy Bible and the Holy Quoran – teach us to respect our Leaders.
That injunction by the Holy Books will guide me here otherwise, I would have started by pointing out that Governor Bago neither deserves to be addressed as His Excellency nor a State Governor. He neither has the carriage, nor the temperament to be so addressed.
If anything, the Governor should hide his face in shame.
In the past few years, or so, I have been excited over the crop of young men and women- 50 and below- who took up elective offices – State Legislators, Governors, Federal Legislators; even non-elective offices like Ministers. Look at some of the young Cabinet Members we have, today, at the Federal level, the females, in particular, forget that one of my favorites has since been in a, how do I put it? – cooler. President Bola Tinubu seems to have forgotten that case which has, for months, denied the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs a substantive Minister. When will a decision be taken? Sorry, I digressed.
But seeing them that young, occupying sensitive offices, gives me some hope that, one day, our dear country could possibly have youths in their 30s and 40s become Presidents and Vice Presidents. They would breath some fresh air, bring some vibrancy, new ideas into governance, what with their vast knowledge.
A couple of them, ushered in since 2023, have performed from average to above average. But some of them have performed badly; behaved badly; brought out the worst in them; carried away by power; became power-drunk. They have lost respect for everybody, including Traditional Rulers, their elders, and exhibited youthful exuberance in the most mean and disgusting manner. It is in this later category that the Governor of Niger State falls.
Nothing confirms Governor Bago’s membership there than his disgraceful public exhibition of raw power this other day.
On that day, Governor Bago disrespected the dead. He disrespected the many respectable personalities and the hundreds of ordinary people who gathered to pay respect to the memory of the dead. He played god. He took joy in, publicly, humiliating his fellow man, a husband and father like him. He stripped him of all dignity. He reduced him to a very dirty rag fit for the waste bin.
Why? Simple.
Bago is a Governor, with all the executive powers attached to it. So, how else would he show he is Governor if not by exhibiting raw power publicly? And this day, he regaled in it to the fullest. He took pride in it, with so much arrogance that a peacock will be green with envy.
You already know the story. But I will briefly recap for the sake of this write-up.
The Governor’s Deputy, Yakubu Garba, had sadly lost his wife, Zainab. The burial ceremony had taken place. But as the Islamic Faith dictates, there were follow up religious ceremonies. It was at one of those ceremonies that Governor Bago showed his ugly side. Arrogance. Volcanic temper. Disrespect for, especially, those lower than him in status.
It was time for prayers for the repose of the soul of the dead. And, out stepped this man to offer the prayers. That was when the ugly scene began – Bago’s public order to slap a citizen “well-well”.
I have not been able to confirm, from independent sources, whether the man is a Cleric or not; whether he was qualified to say the prayers or not; whether Bago had encountered him somewhere before and so, knew him by reputation or not. Or if the Governor remembered him as a mad man, a nuisance, an irritant, or just plain “notice-me-or I die?”
However, on Wednesday, in an unnecessary response to a Daily Trust Editorial which abhorred the Governor’s public behaviour, his Spokesperson, Aisha Wakaso, said the man was an impostor who attempted to impersonate an Imam. Perhaps.
But whatever, nothing excuses the Governor’s reaction; the bad example he showed in public which he is trying to deny through his Spokesperson The Governor who everybody heard clearly, watched in shock, is denying the incident. He is assaulting, as they say, “our sensibilities” by presenting us as deaf and blind.
But dear readers, here is what we heard the Governor say with our own ears, and, as Zebrudaya of the New Masqurade would have put it, “witnessed with our naked eyes.”
With the man on his knees, the Governor, microphone in hand, wearing his flowing “babariga”, in a very loud voice, ordered his Security Details to slap the man. “Slap him! I say slap him well- well!!” As he said that, about three-to-four of his Security Aides stepped forward and surrounded the man as if they had seen one of those murderous bandits in Niger State which Governor Bago has been unable to contain. And true to the Governor’s order, one of his Security Details proceeded to give him a couple of slaps.
Yet, the Governor Bago was not satisfied with the public humiliation of his fellow man. He was not satisfied that he had publicly stripped somebody’s husband, somebody’s father, of all dignity. No. He proceeded to order that he be arrested. “Arrest him! Arrest him!! Deal with him.” And, as the man looked on helplessly, he was roughly dragged to his feet, and led out from the arena, obviously to be detained.
Perhaps, I expected too much. Yet, what I expected from Bago was an apology for his bad conduct. Instead, we were served the opposite. Not only did Bago, on Wednesday, deny that he gave any such “slapping order”, he said the humiliated man “has apologized to him and the Council of Imams” for being an impostor.
Not quite a surprise.
Or, what did anybody expect the man to do or say? He had to apologize to save himself from more humiliation than he already got. Who is he to withstand the wrath of an Executive Governor.
Not a few of those in power play god. Once they are there, they forget they are human beings, that blood flows in them as it flows in other human beings. They forget that there will be a tomorrow and they will not be in that office “till thy kingdom come.” That is the only reason they do some of the things they do. That is the only reason the man would apologize to Bago after his public humiliation.
In the year 2001, a State Governor told me, triumphantly, eyes glittering, how he, overnight, ordered the demolition of the mansion of his former political ally just because they parted ways. “The office of a Governor is powerful ooo. Overnight, I revoked the C of O of that man’s plot and demolished his mansion!” I asked ‘why?’, he just laughed, and added, “Power”. I cringed.
Some of them treat, and speak to their subordinates like sub-human beings. Their subordinates kneel down or stoop to talk to them. And worse.
In more civilized countries, Governor Bago’s political future would have ended over that incident. He would have been forced to resign from office. But here, anything goes.
I don’t know if the Security Personnel who slapped that man is of the Nigerian Police or of another sister-agency. Some people have alleged it was the Governor’s ADC. I doubt it. But if he was the one, or if it was any Policeman, I urge the Leadership of the NPF and the Police Service Commission to slam him with severe disciplinary offence. Whoever, obeyed an illegal order. He is neither allowed nor authorized to do so. And should be made to face the consequences, including a law suit by the victim. In that whole ugly incident, only the Governor has an immunity not to be sued, nobody else. For him, however, I have an unsolicited advice.
Bago is a young man. Only 50 years old. His whole political future before him. He should not destroy it by the type of lawlessness he displayed, no matter the provocation. He should show good example to those around him, and not encourage them to be lawless, to physically assault anyone.
So, this is what I think he should do. Apologise to his victim publicly, not privately. Invite him to Government House. Humor him. There is a precedence.
As the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, now a Senator, was frustrated by the activities of street traders in Benin, the Capital City. They can be quite a nuisance. They block the streets and roads, and dump all kinds of things on them, and even inside gutters. Angered, one day, on encountering them, he spoke to one of them, a widow, carelessly. The woman had pleaded with him not to let those on his entourage to seize and/or destroy her wares. She added that her husband had just died. In a fit of anger and frustration, Oshiomhole asked the widow to die too. The outrage was defeaning. Oshiomhole’s conscience tugged him. He realised he goofed. And quickly made amendments, beautifully. He invited the widow (I now forget if it was with her children or not) to Government House, apologised to her for his mis-speak, and had breakfast with her. I can, almost, swear he didn’t let her go empty-handed.
Governor Bago, I recommend Oshiomhole’s humility (over that incident) to you.
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