By Chinelo Obogo
Rivers State Government has accused a former commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, John Bazia, of trying to smear Governor Nyesom Wike by accusing him of theft and recklessness.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, in a statement, alleged that Bazia had inadvertently confirmed allegations that he (Bazia) had pilfered ‘kolanuts’ meant for traditional rulers during the 2015 presidential campaign.
Bazia had, in a recent interview, responded to Governor Wike’s that he pilfered ‘kolanut’ meant for traditional rulers during the 2015 presidential campaign.
Bazia, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), said if the governor knew he was a thief, why was he appointed commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs. He accused Wike of talking carelessly, saying: “If the governor says I am a thief, he’s the bigger thief.”
But Nsirim said Bazia has, through the interview, inadvertently confirmed that he took part of the gifts meant for traditional rulers.
Nsirim said: ‘’Our attention has been drawn to a statement by a former commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Bazia, in Governor Wike’s first tenure, published in some national dailies.
“In the said publications, Bazia was responding to allegations that he, Bazia, collected 80 percent of the ‘Kolanut’ offered to traditional rulers during a presidential campaign in 2015. One of his points of defence was that Governor Wike appointed him commissioner.
“Bazia served as a member of the House of Assembly and those who knew him, at that time, confirm he had a frosty and relationship with the then speaker, Chibuike Amaechi, which was one of the reasons, he, a two term legislator, did not return to the House and was disdainfully left in the political wilderness from 2007 to 2015, when his speaker became governor for two terms.
“Governor Wike rehabilitated Bazia, gave him another chance in the PDP in 2015 by appointing him commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, even after his ineptitude as head of the presidential campaign in his local government area.
“His tenure as commissioner was also largely uneventful, uninspiring and neither added any meaningful value to the cabinet nor improved the fortunes of the PDP in any remarkable way.
“So, when it was time to invite him a third time, Governor Wike wisely followed the advice of C. JoyBell and refused to reappoint Bazia as a commissioner in his cabinet. The reason for not reappointing him as commissioner, was aptly and comprehensively explained by Governor Wike in an interview he granted a national daily.
“Governor Wike, in the interview spoke on the state of Rivers politics and described copiously and with verifiable instances, the characters and misdemeanours of Bazia and his Transport counterpart, Ibinabo Michael West, who decamped from the PDP to APC.
“When we talk about defection, who and who defected? What are the qualities of those who defected? The two people who defected, who knew them in my cabinet? Have you ever seen them speak on behalf of the party one day? Have you heard them speak about my administration?
“There are people who defect and it will worry the government because these are internal members of the cabinet. Not everybody who is a commissioner is a commissioner. Chidi Lloyd defected to PDP, we knew who he was in APC. Who are these people who defected from the PDP? Wike asked rhetorically.
“The character of Bazia was revealed and the records set straight by the very man he himself confessed of collecting a loan from, Lesi Maol, a Rivers oil magnate and managing director, Giolee Global Resources.
“In an interview, Maol simply took Bazia to the cleaners, revealing how the former commissioner, who was also his kinsman, begged him for a loan to settle a problem involving his son’s school abroad, and how after collecting the loan, he started playing a dubious game of delay tactics and even threatening him.
“It was only when a counter threat to arrest the former commissioner that it eventually got to Governor Wike’s ears and the governor benevolently paid off the loan to avoid any further embarrassment to the state government.
“One can only sympathise with the myopia and stagnated mindset of people like Bazia who deliberately refuse to acknowledge the amazing transformation going on in Rivers State, under the firm, astute, determined and unwavering leadership of Governor Wike.
“It had to take the herculean courage, bravery and strategic political brilliance of Governor Wike to retain the identity of PDP, maintain the structure and sustain the existence and goodwill all of which have been the hallmarks of rebuilding the party in the last five years.
“As far as the PDP is concerned, Bazia and his likes remain good riddance to bad rubbish.”