Adamawa State has been shut down. Yes! There is no government right now. The state is, in simple language, without a functional government. It is on its knees!
As a matter of fact, the reality on the ground, as I write this piece now, is that the state governor, Murtala Nyako is not around to govern the state; the state deputy governor, Bala James Ngillari is also not around to hold forth for the governor. There is also no member of the state House of Assembly to carry out the legislative duties as all the members were said to have fled the state. They left the state for fear of being attacked by the supporters of governor Nyako and his deputy whom they set out on Wednesday to impeach without understanding the under-current waters of political game of the state.
And on top of it, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was said to have frozen the account of the state, obviously, with an order from the usual ‘above.’
Indeed, the disappearance of governor, his deputy and members of the state House of Assembly from their duty posts, for whatever reason or excuse, is a serious matter that needs to be addressed. It is simply an indication that Adamawa state is out of existence within the context of functionality.
And the question that quickly arises is who will address the serious matter of a state without a government, especially, in a situation where the federal government that should be an abbiter has its hand already full with dirty political schemings against the real and pervieved ‘enemies’ or oponenets? When an allegation is flying around that it is even the federal government that bribed the impoverished lawmakers to stoke the fire of trouble; the fire that they themselves ran away from when it became uncomfortably hot, where do we go from here?
It is very unfortunate that the leaders that should be finding solution to the heat Nigeria is already going through, in terms of war against terrorism, in terms of political tupsy-turvey and uncertainty and other known and unknown slippery socio-political matters, are the same that are playing the politics of arm-twisting, naked nihilistic tendencies, brigandage and despotism. These negative and primitive political attitudes have been flying aroung the country: from Adamawa state to Rivers state and of course, Ekiti state, where oposition governors were ambushed, detained and prevented from exercising their human and constitutional rights of free movement and free association and assembly.
One is at a loss as to whether the promoters and practitioners of these primitive political antics are not aware of the possible repercussion of such activities on the general body politics of the country, and the country itself now and in future.
It is more of a share madness that some people in high places are knowingly plunging the country into a dangerous precipice without caring a hoot.
Of course, it should not be as if it is strange for democrat to hear that one political party is, by natural democratic practice and arrangement, always trying to get an upper hand over another political party, especially when it comes to contest for positions. However, one expects that such contest for positions should be made to look healthy.
However, when what is supposed to be healthy competition for the attention of the electorate is allowed to degenerate into personal vendetta, mudslinging, attacks, using ill acquired money, soldiers that ought to be apolitical, police that are supposed to be peace makers, raw power and other devious means to cow down oponents, it becomes frightening. The naked use of power, flexing of enomous muscles by leaders as if the purpose of governance is to trample on everyone and everything that as much as blink an eye on such leaders, poses danger not only to the part of the country, but the whole. And the loosers are all the people in it.
Yes, the governor, whose face irritates and must not be allowed to continue on his seat; his deputy, who simply demonstrates loyalty to his boss and members of the state Assembly, who miscalculated the political geography of their state and became the carriers of ‘bad’ news to the state have all gone into hiding, but after all that, there is still a big question as to when will the government begin to function again in Adamawa state; by who and how?
It is interesting that the whole world is watching the drama in Adamawa state as it unfolds; and other parts of the country where democracy is being turned on its head.

Read More Articles From This Author:  Yusuf Ozi-Usman

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