ARTICLE LINKS
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/01/the-arrest-of-okey-ndibe/
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5664163-146/story.csp
I am intrigued by the heat and dust raised as a result of the seizure of Prof. Okey Ndibe’s Passports for 2 days, following his identification on the State Security Service (SSS) Wanted Persons’ List at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, Nigeria on Saturday 08-Jan-2011.
Prof. Okey Ndibe (PON) is a Lecturer, Writer, Newspaper Columnist and Social Critic. He speaks on behalf of the people whenever and wherever he identifies anything that is not in their interest. The natures of some of his calling make him an enemy of any government that is not loved by the people. He is also a danger to all those benefitting from bad governance of the people, whether he identified and/or criticized them or not. Everybody knows that he has been a thorn in the flesh of Nigerian governments in recent years.
There is no doubt that Prof. Ndibe is smart. He has won accolades in the Academic world. As a writer, his intellect is unassailable. A master like Chinua Achebe must have seen something in him during his early years as a writer; therefore, his intuition should be first class. He was born in Yola, Nigeria and had most of his education in Nigeria, therefore, he does not lack commonsense of the Nigerian situation, which those born outside Nigeria have to assimilate. From his writings, it is easy to see that he keeps abreast of happenings in Nigeria and is even more informed of what is on the ground than many of us residing in Nigeria.
Consequently, when he packed his bag to come to Nigeria from the US, he knew exactly what he was doing and the personal security scenarios he could encounter in nascent democratic Nigeria. He knew the occupational hazards attached to his calling in Africa so it seems to me that he wanted to test the waters under President Goodluck Jonathan. I would not be surprised to hear that he came with his medical and spiritual doctors, as well as his lawyer – just in case.
I tried to find out if President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) or his assign made a statement on the incident but I guess that the journalists at the State House need more time before they ask somebody about it and tell us. Or maybe something was said and I missed it. In the end, the SSS told Prof. Ndibe that he was free to go, but arrested his two Passports and asked him to go to their Kingsway Road Ikoyi office on Monday 10-Jan-2011.
From Prof. Okey Ndibe’s account, he was neither insulted (ala African style) nor assaulted. We did not hear that he was locked up in some smelly mosquito-infested Cell and served some dubious beverage, like Tea, programmed to alter some neurons in his brain some months after the encounter. No type of bomb exploded near him during or after his encounter with the SSS. We did not hear that somebody shot at his car on his way home; that he fainted; that he was hypnotized; that he had a nightmare, etc., etc. After he collected his Passports, he did not report that any of them was mutilated.
Whatever the case, it seems to me that President Goodluck Jonathan has emerged from this episode smelling like a bunch of Roses. Prof. Okey Ndibe smells nice too, as he now knows that the government takes note of his arguments. If I were a political Sci-Fi writer, I would have put this incident down as a symbiotic “collabo” between GEJ and PON; where President Goodluck Jonathan adds some animated GIF Feathers to his Human Rights digital Cap, and Prof. Okey Ndibe’s worldwide rating soars – as the courageous patriotic critic that left his comfortable life in the US to dare the Nigerian Lion in his den and came out unscathed.
In my estimation, there is no winner and no vanquished so I think that GEJ should be given the benefit of the doubt and all assistance to move the nation forward until he proves unworthy of such help.
The travails of Julien Assange of Wikileaks have shown us that freedom of the Press/speech, as enshrined in any Constitution, could still be subject to interpretation anywhere in the world, regardless of the type of Passport(s) you carry. It is noteworthy (and food for thought) that even after Mr. Assange’s indictment, the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill is still on the front Burner in Nigeria’s National Assembly.
I am not holding brief for President Goodluck Jonathan but I want things to be put in their proper perspective because, time and again, we saw some overzealous Nigerian officers take laws into their own hands in the heat of the moment. GEJ is not a foolish Captain, so he knows that he has fifth columnists on board. It is hard to believe that he would authorize that Prof. Okey Ndibe be arrested at election time. Besides, he knows that Prof. Ndibe is famous and has many friends in Nigeria and in the western world.
Prof. Ndibe was born in the home state of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, and writes for the Sun Newspapers owned by Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. I guess that it would be difficult for Prof. Okey Ndibe to sustain criticism of these political juggernauts and their friends at this time. Somebody should correct me if I am wrong.
Ehee, Oh yes, Prof. Ndibe, having noted how Nigerians (including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka) rallied round you when the SSS pounced, I hope that your perception has shifted enough to look again at my unacknowledged emails to you on my dispossession by Mr. Nessim Gaon of Israel: http://en.netlog.com/jonathanobikpo/blog, http://jonathan-obikpo.blogspot.com. Those who choose your line of business should use their talents and connections to fight corruption, injustice and oppression whenever and wherever they rear their ugly heads, no matter whose ox is gored. This should not be Animal Farm ooo! It is true that I left a caveat that those who want to assist me should evaluate if they could sacrifice their personal wellbeing before offending almighty Mr. Gaon, but you have made it clear that you have the interest of others at heart so I expected that you would do something to assist. Besides, you are not one of those with loots and who stashed them away in Swiss or British Banks, so you have nothing to fear from Mr. Nessim Gaon. I beg, my brother, stand up and be counted.
In spite of everything, many of us in Nigeria appreciate your work and those constructive criticisms designed to keep our rulers on their toes, and awake to their promises and responsibilities.
Jonathan Obikpo
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