EBCO's SELFISH ADVICE TO THE MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT!


Dear Hon. Minister for Transport,

I have a few lines for you this afternoon and it is not political, but a bit selfish. Selfish in the sense that I and other of my friends will be beneficiaries to these if you find them reasonable and action them. On this premise, you can conveniently call this EBCO's SELFISH ADVICE TO THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT.

Records have it that you have not been my friend from social media recoverable memory and I am not in anyway ashamed of this wonderful record. Being able to stand in the face of a Governor in Nigeria and saying the truth without blemish is a feat scarcely available in our political landscape, that I was one who did it, is a thing of pride that I guard jealously. Many of your friends hate me for this, while your enemies kiss me. But what I love is the fact that my loyalty as a freeborn, is to my conscience. I talk from my heart and in company of my soul. I held you accountable for the scarce resources you held in trust for Rivers people while you reigned as Governor here, because it is the right thing to do. Even though we still have unfinished businesses,that responsibility has shifted and so did my demands from you.

I refused to kick against your ministerial nomination not for friendship, but because I am of the opinion and had also written from the beginning, that having worked for Buhari's emergence, you deserved a piece of Buhari's cake. Every labourer deserves his wage. Secondly, I did not kick against you because I know Rivers State politicians very well. If you had lost out in the sharing of the spoils in Abuja, and Rivers State remains a PDP controlled state, it would have been only a matter of time before your people sang tunes of 'this-and-that' as reasons for their return to the PDP. A maximum of 1 year and 6 months is all it would have taken for a majority of all those who call you LORD LORD or LION LION to call you DEVIL DEVIL or lamb lamb, but this time not lamb of God. The funny part would have been that they would not have even waited to get to Port Harcourt before releasing their defection albums, the launch would have been at the departure lounge of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, for those who could still afford flight tickets, or at the various Parks at Utako. They all would have come home to burden the more, the scarce resources of the Rivers State. I wanted you to be Minister so that you, in Nigerian political doctrine, can CARRY YOUR PEOPLE ALONG.

When a state has two different political groups representing the state at two or different levels or set ups, I tend to look at the advantages above the disadvantages. My reason is that the disadvantages are inevitable, but the advantages can most times not be explored and harnessed. Having two or more groups is first of all an opportunity for the state to grow more gladiators and build and strengthen capacity of Generals. I am of the opinion that if you grow your people and Governor Wike grows his people, Rivers State will be better of for it. I say so because of its futuristic dividends. Rivers State as at today does not have up to 5 voices that ring bells nationally. Sadly enough, we destroyed our people and our institutions by our own hands. Our people have faded off and so has our negotiating power. We have become the sheep and not the Shepherd, even down here in the South. Senator Tinubu of Lagos has enthroned himself King of the South, Pa Edwin Clark of Delta State has crowned himself Elder of the South-South and Senator Akpabio snatched our first-place position to the land of Akwa-Ibom. I am Rivers and I am not used to playing 2nd fidle. I wear clothes and costumes worth millions everyday like no other does. My women are endowed and attract the most expensive bride prices and the most determined suitors. I am rich and I have potentials. I have style and I have swagger. I am beautiful and attractive. I am the bride of the Nigerian society. Warri never comes last,they say, but Port Harcourt always comes first. This is who I am.

A lot of your friends must by now, have advised you on how to use your offices to deal political blows. Those are not real friends...they are iin the words of Magnus Abe, UNFRIENDLY FRIENDS. Of the lot who follow you, only a few are worthy of the appellations; FRIEND; BROTHER; CONFIDANT; WELL-WISHER; and COLLEAGUE. Most should be called PARTNERS or FRIENDS-WITH-BENEFIT. They have studied you and know your weak point is your fragile emotion and that you make mistakes when your emotion is bruised. They feed from this scenario and will do anything to fertilize their garden. They will create troubles for you and solve them for you, making you believe they did you a great favour and hold you eternally grateful to them. As a literature student, you should remember these words:

''PROSPERO: Have you forgotten the torture I freed you from?

ARIEL: No.

PROSPERO
You have forgotten, and you think it’s a burden when I ask you to walk through the ocean, or run on the north wind, or do business for me underground when the earth’s frozen solid.

ARIEL: No, I don’t, sir.

PROSPERO: You lie, you nasty, ungrateful thing! Have you forgotten the horrid witch Sycorax, stooped over with old age and ill will? Have you forgotten her?''

And with these your fair-weather friends will enter the market place to sell you, if you ignore any of their advances. My brother, whatever you believe in, this is the time to clutch tightly to that, for the whirlwind of deceit is just about to begin.

In your appointment as a member of the Federal Executive Council, you have an opportunity to shine, use it. The only battles I need you to quickly go to is that of excelling in your capacity as the head of the Transport Ministry. TOUTING must be banished and CUSTOMER SERVICE must improve. You have to immediately launch a re-branding program and let the mantra be LET EVERYTHING THAT OUGHT TO WORK, WORK!!! The little details overlooked in the movement of people, goods and services must be paid attention to. Ambiance, Appeal, Smell, Security Checks, Rest rooms, Electricity Power sockets, Lighting bulbs, Queuing, perambulating, general passenger behaviours, flight shifts and cancellation policies, parking of vehicles, lighting on the run ways and tarmacs,etc. These are quick fixes and can earn you morale boosting applause and equally energize you to go the long haul in more demanding tasks.

Remember how much you criticized those before you, for this reason alone, the entire world will have their eyes on you. You must rise up to the occasion. If you accused others of not doing anything for the Niger Delta, do realize that our people watch consignments travel past our corridors here to go berth at Apapa, for the same goods to be transported back to Onitsha and Aba, where our people to buy at more exorbitant prices. Onne has to work and work competitively, for the multiplier effects will be enormous. The Niger Delta has to be networked by rail for integration and commerce, and water transportation should provide us revenue and pride.

I do expect that you will liaise with the different governments of the states in the Niger Delta to chart a way forward in our general transportation concerns.

Most importantly, you need to perform...you need to perform...you need to perform, if not for any reason, to avoid going to battle with me and my friends. We have put put together a small group called AN EYE ON NIGERIA, and a subgroup called AN EYE ON NIGERIA's TRANSPORTATION. From time to time, we will support you and other leaders at various levels of Government with ideas and criticize where we should. We believe that you have no reason to fail, but If you still go ahead to fail to perform, WE WILL ROAST YOU WITH OUR PEN.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Eze-Basil Chinwendu Oluo D'Oracle​
Port Harcourt,
ebcodoracle@gmail.com

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