On the 17th of July 2024, exactly 12:07 pm that fateful day, just last week, I got a call from this number: +2348037061607. The call lasted for 52 minutes and 39 seconds. Before that call, the said number had called me for 56 seconds to ask if I was free to talk. I greeted him and went on to tell him to go ahead and kindly discuss what he wished to talk about.
During the 52 plus minutes conversation, at one point the said caller threatened me and went on to make the following statements:
“For now, you are running under the banner of activists, that when things get out of hand you will start flying the journalist flag for sympathy. And as a rule, I try diplomacy first and afterwards, whatever happens, the recipient deserves it.”
When he discovered that I didn’t say anything after he made the aforementioned statement, he went on to throw rhetorical questions at me, which sounded this way, “Is it because the Governor whom he is a Chief Press Secretary to is being gentle?”
I didn’t wait for him to land, I quickly and impatiently interjected him and let him know that “Only coward misuses public resources and abuses privileged state power to advance threat, violence, murder, assassination and all sort of emptiness to prove nothing. That in fact, some of us don’t care if cowardly actions by state actors and their proxy are aimed at our demise or attack, that he should retract his statement. That lest he forgets, even killers would equally leave the earth one day.”
Understanding that he had issued the needless threat, he resorted to asking me what I needed from the government. I told him that I believe there should be a committee that thoroughly investigates claims made by victims of crimes and if need be, assists those who genuinely suffer losses and who are still in pain from the crime they suffer. And for a start, the government can begin with that mother of three whose shop was looted two nights ago and move on to other investigated victims. With that, I reminded him that this will help ameliorate victim’s distress, along with the assurances and investment that surveillance CCTV cameras in strategic places in urban centres and towns would bring on board as regards tackling crimes from a regimented and social security standpoint while focusing on urgent youth engagement project and donations of vans to police stations to strengthen security.
Rather the said public relations officer who is paid with taxpayers’ money to take my suggestions to the government, was quick to blame Pastor Yosef Effiom who was kidnapped last month on 30th June at Tinapa Axis and only got released a few days ago for the ordeal the said pastor went through. Imagine a Chief Press Secretary telling you that not everybody is a pastor who calls themselves a pastor, that the said pastor of Christ Diplomats Ministry brought the kidnapping upon himself.
As if such a level of public officer’s arrogance wasn’t enough, he went on to say, “Professor Ephraim, the neurosurgeon who was kidnapped at her Clinic in Atimbo within the State Capital and who is yet to be found for months now, was kidnapped due to family issues.”
How do you convince us that everything is fine when there is no closure to this day about these evil crimes that hold people and their assets (including several cars that have been stolen) against their wish causing the likes of Professor Ekanem to lose her Sister and several of her patients to death due to her abduction?
It would interest the general public with great concern to note that this said press secretary had to ask arrogantly where in Africa the government has invested in surveillance CCTV cameras to fight crime. He does not see any need for why the government should help victims and if such assistance should be given, it should only be done spirally.
If a Chief Press Secretary, who is paid and catered for with taxpayers’ money could be this insensitive, mean, misguided and openly cold towards the issue of security and welfare of citizens and victims of crimes respectively, I feel very sorry for the future of regimented and social security in the State from a citizens’ engagement and victims’ support standpoint. Are wickedness and insensitivity the criteria to make it to public office or there is something we are not getting?
And this is why, I’ve always maintained that “If we must get it right as a civilisation, it is extremely important that society ensures that only the most compassionate of citizens hold sensitive offices, and not some misguided appointee who mistakes their elevation in public service as a greenlight to threaten and become needlessly unthoughtful.”
Moving forward, in the course of your assignment, always remind yourself that the primary purpose of government is to provide security and welfare as enshrined in Section 14 Subsection 2b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And that citizens have the statutory rights and constitutional privilege to demand both when they feel uncomfortable with the material condition and security situation they find themselves in. Please let none of such requests offend you nor erode your sense of consideration towards all citizens especially those who have suffered losses and ask for a set of new policy engagement to prevent further crime scenes and to assist victims when they openly ask for intervention in the form of compassionate welfare.
Please Mr Chief Press Secretary, use your privileged appointment to advance our civilisation which expects us to treat people with genuine compassion, help the less fortunate in times of trouble, and not act like a beast of the jungle in the name of temporary power which is but transient.
Thanks!
Richard Inoyo is the editor of Citizens’ Observatory and Country Director of Citizens’ Solution Network and writes from Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Richard Inoyo, and do not represent the opinion of TheInvestigator or any other organization the author works for/with.