22nd July, 2013
By Taiwo Lawrence Adeyemi
Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk was summoned on April 17th, 1521, by Pappenheim, the marshal of the empire, to appear before the emperor who wanted to find out two things: First, whether Martin Luther was wiling to confess that the books which have been circulated under his name were his; second, whether Martin Luther was ready to renounce the books or part of them.
Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State is facing a similar fate. He is a man under the iron heel of the presidency as he is currently being indirectly summoned by the the Rivers State political neophytes to appear before Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Dame Patience Jonathan for standing up to these two people who are bullying him politically through their minions in Rivers State. Both have continued to make Rivers State ungovernable for Rotimi Amaechi. Rotimi in Yoruba translates to ‘The Lord Is With Me’.
Taking a close look at Amaechi’s political footprints, he has continued to conquer his enemies along his path with fire.
Why has Amaechi become the most vilified governor? Theories, theses, permutations, and political manoeuvring have been adduced: From the unfounded, rumoured vice- presidential bid, to his alleged support for a Northerner candidate for presidency in 2015, and disobeying Jonathan on his re-election as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and for privately addressing Rivers State people over the row between
Bayelsa and River States, in the wake of the sudden ceding of oil wells belonging to the Rivers People to Bayelsa State.
Someone should kindly remind President Jonathan that Nigeria lost close to $7 billion dollars to crude oil theft, with Bayelsa State, GEJ’s home state accounting for about 87 percent of the crude oil thefts in Nigeria.
And as Martin Luther replied; “Unless therefore am convinced by the testimony of scripture, or by the clearest reasoning – unless I am persuaded by means of the passage I have quoted – and unless they thus rendered my conscience bound by the word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand! may God help me! Amen.”
If all these allegation against Amaechi are fabricated and woven around him to intimidate, coerce and to humiliate him, he should have his conscience bound by the word of God. In his commentary on the Book of Galatians, Martin Luther wrote, “There must be people in high office, of course. But we are not to DEIFY them!” The president, governors, NASS Members, the teachers, the scholars, the preacher, the traditional and religious leaders, father, mothers, and the person whom we are to love and revere, but not to the extent that we forget God, “Lest we attach too much importance to the person, God leaves with important persons offenses and sins, sometimes astounding shortcomings, to show us that there is a lot of difference between any person and God.”
Frankly, ‘Table Talk’, Nigeria politics is filthy, stinking puddle, full of the most wicked wretches in the world. Amaechi is being tried by President Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, Peter Odili, Nyesome Wike, Rivers State COMPOL, Joseph Mbu and a host of others, Amaechi is now caught in a violent thunderstorm. As he walks through the rough terrain of Nigerian politics, would he be terrified? As Amaechi appears before PDP’s ‘Diet Of Worms’, in conformity with PDP’s rules and constitution, God should kindly conjure the president, his wife, Rivers State COMPOL, Peter Odili, Nyesome Wike, and others to listen graciously to your defence which you are sure is just and true! Because you desire to see your days go by peacefully and happily!
•Adeyemi wrote from Lagos. E-mail: [email protected].