*After the fall… The sun shone brightly, in sync with the nation’s celebration mood. It was a day to remember. A day destined for the annals of history, to honour Nigeria's hard-won democracy. Twenty-five unbroken years! The air was electric. The stage was set, the crowd buzzing. All eyes were on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he took to the podium to deliver his speech. Done, he proceeded to mount the motorcade to inspect the presidential parade. Then, it happened in a flash! One moment, President Tinubu was walking sure-footedly between his security aides towards the ride. A few ginger steps and he would be there. The military parade would start as soon as he was in place, waving at his people. But, as he lifted a foot to step onto the back of the truck, gravity had a different plan. *The security aides rushed support him up. Suddenly, as the president ascended the steps of the car, the unthinkable happened – he lost footing and - “Hu...
The stage is dark except for a single spotlight on the puppet, Sinny, who sits lifeless on a stand. The puppeteer, Sir Wikky, stands by, ready to begin the show. Suddenly, the sound of train taking off!
Wikky pulls the strings, and Sinny springs to life. For a while, it dances gracefully. Flawless, in fact, as Sir Wikky manipulates the cords. Outside, a storm gathers somewhere!
As the performance continues, Sinny starts moving deliberately slower. “Sinny, what's going on? You're slowing down. Keep up the pace!” shouted Wikky.
The puppet paused. “Can I say something?” it asked. Sir Wikky laughed dismissively. “Say something? Puppets don’t talk, Sinny. They perform”. “Maybe this one speaks”, says Sinny.
Slightly taken aback, Sir Wikky tugs harder on the strings, trying to regain control, but Sinny starts moving awkwardly.
The Stage Manager, popularly called Chairman Bat, notices the brewing trouble and intervenes. It turns out to favour Wikky more. Puppet Sinny kepts quiet! Soon, things move from “top to bottom”!
“Sinny, enough of this nonsense! Move your legs!”
“I’ve danced quietly long enough. I want to speak”, said Sinny.
Wikky is provoked: “You’re a puppet! I made you who you are. You have no say in anything. Just dance!”
Sinny remains calm: “Maybe I do have a say. Maybe it's time for me to control my own strings”.
In a surprising twist and sudden burst of determination, the puppet’s movements become more erratic, resisting the pull of the strings with increasing defiance.
Soon, Sinny's strings start to snap one by one. The puppet begins to move independently, shakily but resolutely.
“I’m not just your puppet anymore, Sir Wikky, I’m more than that. To prove it, I’ll probe your strings-pulling antics in years gone by”.
Wikky watches in stunned silence. The room is filled with a sense of both loss and triumph.
The latest episode of Rivers State’s political soap opera. Sim Fubara, the mild-mannered successor Nyesom Wike, is now donning the hat of a justice crusader. Yes, the same Fubara who, as the former Accountant General, was the financial gatekeeper of Wike’s administration, now threatens to probe his predecessor.
Until recently, my neighbour saw Fubara as just a puppet. "Fubara seems more like a caretaker than a governor," he argued.
But then, the once harmonious relationship between Wike and Fubara began to crack, leading to public spats and subtle jabs.
The announcement to probe Wike sent shockwaves through the political sphere, eliciting gasps and guffaws in equal measure.
The irony is as thick as the humid air of Port Harcourt.
What could possibly motivate this sudden burst of bravado? Perhaps Fubara, is tired of the “puppet” label?
"This move could be Fubara’s attempt to assert his independence and prove he’s more than just Wike’s successor, " suggested the rat in my ceiling.
True. If Fubara truly holds his predecessor accountable, it might signal a new era of governance in Rivers State.
As the drama unfolds, will the sim card, sorry, Sim Fubara follow through with his bold proclamation? Meanwhile, one thing is certain: There are still many rivers to cross!
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