By Ukan Kurugh

When you build a glass house, you don't throw stones, so says an adage. Unfortunately, there seems to be misplaced priority today as much as we have reached a point in our history where life is at a rush; perhaps, we are in a jet age where undue competition, the 'I' syndrome, sycophancy, men pleases and 'no do gooders' have taken the centre stage, jettisoning reason as well as core values that used to be sacrosanct.
Maybe, it is due to the observable significant shift from what used to be obtainable then and what is currently obtainable. For instance, merit in time past was placed above parochial interest even as national integration took centre stage ahead of divisive tendencies particularly, as Nigeria moved out of the civil war.
Alas! The current trend is a depiction of theatre of absorb; no thanks to the so called modernisation. Or how else, can people who have distinguished themselves in their chosen career through hard work and dedication to duty, simply because they share no common ideologies with a select few are suddenly seen as enemies of progress?
To cut the long story short, I was taken aback by the barrage of insults and attacks on the person of Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, Commissioner of Police (Rtd) by neophytes and by Governor Samuel Ortom supposed attack dogs on the social media and even on the state owned Radio Benue on an issue that is supposedly a test of integrity.
The drama started with the governors's declaration at a funeral somewhere in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State to the effect that the former Lagos State Commissioner of Police is penciled to head a committee for the enlistment of Benue indigenes in Nigeria Police Service. Tsav in his characteristic manner quickly responded, declining the offer on account that he was not consulted.

Ordinarily, I would not have commented on the issue because as I am not his information manager neither do I have his blessings to comment on same. I am however compared by reason to react owing to the dimension the whole thing has taken.
Maybe the following questions would help to unravel the puzzle here. What was the Governor Samuel Ortom's motive for the public statement? Was he out to ridicule Tsav? Has Abubakar Tsav no discretion to decide for himself what to do and what not to do? Why the outburst of anger and insults about Tsav's position on the whole situation?
Whether we like it or not, everyone of us is entitled to his own opinion and has the free will to chose; this is how we are made. And I hasten to say that official communications are made in writing for documentary evidence. In this case, this was not to be the case. Can any one of those who are quick to condemn him come out to say that other appointments made by Ortom were made public before the appointees were communicated? If no, why Tsav's case was different?

I am therefore convinced that, as an elder statesman, it would not have been out of place to have consulted the ex-cop on the subject matter. So was the governor out to ridicule the man, who in addition to distinguishing himself in his chosen career has earned for himself a reputation of anti-corruption crusader? Without been immodest, this was a statement in a rush and to my small mind, there were better ways to remedy same rather than giving into the temptation to calling names.
And to the supposed attack dogs, who says we must all be people of no moral values? Or who says we all believe that a "beggar" has no choice? Tsav could be a fool and may have switched religion to attain his personal goals in life. This a lone is enough reason (for me) to show that at least he has been exercising his freedom of choice long time ago even as he is protected by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By the way, was it not until the 20th Century that the Tiv people embraced Christendom? We are all guilty (maybe, as Tsav) to have changed religion. We changed from our forefathers' religion to Christendom and he choosed Islam.
Away from that, good information managers and faithful followers would not engage Tsav in media war. This is a man that can hit front page of any national daily any time. Besides, what has he to lose? For he is carrying a basket of garden-eggs; tumble him and he will get up and pick them up and don't be confident that you will find your eggs in whole if you are tumbled.

He could be a mad man but he has his own life to live and cannot be forced to drink water when he don't want to.
To sum up, Tsav by his action has shown that he is not a poor student of history like those who are quick to haul insults on him. Remember the Ibrahim Babangida-Wole Soyinka story? Not all appointments, no matter how enticing, are made in good faith. Let Tsav be for we all must not be hallelujah boys?
To Facebook users, the "I am the first to post" attitude may one day land somebody in steam. A word is enough for the wise!