

There are some people, no matter how hard you beat them across the back of the head to make them understand something, they will never get it.
Even if you literally break open their heads and pour the stuff inside, they will still convolute the narrative with their warped and opaque egomaniacal social crusading.
For want of a better word, these kinds of folks can apologetically be described as slow to understand and dim-witted.
There’s no redemption for them except for some kind of divine psychological deliverance from the hangover of monumental failures and broken dreams of undeserving elevations way beyond the limitations of their modest ambitions.
It is against the backdrop of this poignant psychoanalysis, that one can appreciate Dakuku Peterside’s obsession with Governor Nyesom Wike, since after the 2015 Governorship election in the state.
The bitter memory of the crumbling of his unbridled triumphalism, basking in the political surrogacy of a still birthed, frankensteinian electoral foetus was truncated at the incubation chamber.
The astute and strategic electoral master-class of Governor Wike, in 2015 and the shameful, embarrassing overlooking and outright relegation for lesser greenhorns in the gubernatorial pecking order by an autocratic demagogue, has compelled the Opobo politician to reluctantly acknowledge and ascribe god-like qualities to his political nemesis.
Dakuku’s obsession with Governor Wike has become so pathetically unfortunate that he has now drifted uncontrollably into the internal affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and chosen, like the infamously celebrated uninvited tombo- fly, to now comment on what Governor Wike should tell his national Party chairman.
Or is Dakuku surreptitiously nursing the intention to return to the PDP now that the major co-tenants of the house he inhabits with so much uncertainty, are migrating and defecting to the more comfortable abode of his neighbour?
Perhaps one should remind Dakuku that there is only ONE recognized Political Party in Rivers State; PDP and Governor Wike is the undisputed leader of the party.
It is also important to let Dakuku know that Governor Wike has perfected a wonderful operational synergy with the leaders, elder statesmen and the critical block of the PDP across board, which has been built on the foundation of trust and confidence in the capacity of the leader who knows the way, shows the way and goes all the way with focus, determination and results.
This is a far cry from the confused, formless, arrogantly inconsistent, yet imperially unchallenged impunity of leadership exhibited in the factionalized, fractured political contraption he associates with and one may not be too surprised if Dakuku is covertly, but with subterranean cowardice, passing a message to his own god-like lord and master, with this unsolicited and unnecessary broadside aimed at Governor Wike.
Dakuku Peterside should first remove the log in his own eye so he can see properly that there’s no speck in the PDP under Governor Wike’s leadership and guidance.
And by the way, who are the hapless Rivers people Dakuku is referring to? Is it the massive crowds that throng every project Commissioning and transform the event into one huge celebration of pomp and colourful pageantry with exciting rich Rivers cultural displays and dances?
Is the joyous Rivers commuters who never cease to be amazed at the beautiful flyovers and the ease of traffic which they have brought to areas like the grid lock in Rumuokoro, Rumuola, Rumuogba and Rebisi where the magnificent edifices have been completed and commissioned?
Many Rivers people from Ogoni land and the ancient kingdom of Opobo, including Dakuku Peterside, will travel home this yuletide season, enjoying the smooth, nylon, silky express way of the Unity Road and the Bori Sakpenwa expressway.
Are these the same people who Dakuku is talking about and calling hapless?
Indeed, one is hilariously amused by the latest lexicon of ‘brick and mortar’ which has become a latest catch phrase in Dakuku’s description of Governor Nyesom Wike’s unassailable monumental achievements. His penchant to throw in that phrase, which certainly sounds quite good to his own ears, can be likened to the proverbial people in Chinua Achebe’s novel, who lost their head when a new saying came into their land.
It is indeed quite laughable that a former Commissioner of Works in a thriving cosmopolitan hub like Rivers State, will describe the construction of legacy flyovers, hundreds of kilometers of state-of-the-art roads and expressways, the reclamation and sand filling of vast swathes of land in riverine communities, educational advancements, healthcare and other feats, as a ‘warped understanding of development underscored by over concentration on brick-and-mortar governance’.
As for the DMO report of domestic and national Debts, it’s just typical of half-baked intellectuals like Dakuku to be economical with the truth and present the holistic picture of the report, because they want to score cheap political points.
For the records, the debts records show Lagos (N532.12 billion), Akwa Ibom (N234,85 billion), Rivers (N226.35 billion), Delta (N207.17 billion) and Ogun (N192.42 billion). According to the DMO, the domestic debt stock figure for Rivers state was the same as of June 30, 2021.
It must be noted that the figure for Rivers State represents the debt since its creation in 1967. For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Wike’s administration is not indebted to any organisation or individual.
The DMO report further stated that Nigeria’s public debt is N38.01 trillion or $92.63 billion as of Q3 2021. Nigeria’s total debt as at Sept. 30 was 37.9 billion dollars. This figure comprised the external debt stock of the Federal Government, 36 state governments and the Federal Capital.
But most importantly, and this is what Dakuku will not tell you, is that the DMO also said the Federal Government needs to increase revenue momentum to lower the country’s debt profile as well as reduce new loans. This declaration alone has justified Governor Wike’s pointed query to the Federal Government to tell Nigerians what it has done with the humongous loans it has borrowed on behalf Nigeria and Nigerians.
Interestingly, just a little nudge on Dakuku’s pedestrian analysis of comparing a State’s economy with the size of its budget and the quack postulations which he apparently forgot to elucidate on in his wild, unrestrained initial allegations comes pouring out like a leaking tap.
Well, Governor Wike has already told Dakuku Peterside that no matter how much he occupies the public space with his half-truths, outright lies and the strange case of his arrested development, he will never get the Governorship ticket of whatever party he pitches his tent with.
Meanwhile, Mr. Projects has continued to fulfill his mandate and pledge that he will deliver a legacy project in every local government area and will not leave any uncompleted project for his predecessor.
He has ended the year with the commissioning and flagging off of people-oriented projects in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ahoada-West, Etche and Oyigbo Local Government Areas.
The New Year will herald another round of such developmental strides in additional Local Government Areas.
That is the hallmark and quality of visionary and progressive leadership.
Let Dakuku and his co-travellers continue to delude themselves in the now well-known pitiable habit of playing to the gallery.
Ted is PRO, Rivers Youth Front