What could make "respected" appointees of Ebonyi State governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, to suddenly turn touts and enemies to their people?
This is the question on the lips of Ebonyians, especially Afikpo residents, following the directive of Ebonyi State governor on Saturday, April 11, 2020, that motorcycles (popularly known as Okada), be it private or commercial, have been banned from operating in all parts of the state; in order not to spread the COVID-19 pandemic in Ebonyi state.
In fact, the condemnations and criticisms that greeted the ban were yet to settle when, on Easter Sunday, the governor suspended many Development Centre (DC) Coordinators and other appointees "for allowing human beings to be smuggled into Ebonyi State from neighbouring states through their borders".
The suspension of the DC Coordinators was like a sting in the arse for many as some of the yet to suspended appointees raced to please the governor, even if it means going to war with their own people.
Appointees turn touts
According to online dictionaries, "A tout is any person who solicits business or employment in a persistent and annoying manner. To tout is to try to sell something or to try to convince people of something, to advertise, talk about, or praise something or someone repeatedly, especially as a way of encouraging people to like, accept or buy something."
Whatever the definition, "tout" generally connotes negative meanings to people, especially in the Nigerian parlance, where the term "motorpark tout" is used to refer to a riffraff and a never-do-well harassing people, especially drivers or passengers at motor parks.
In fact, in an "ill-advised" Facebook post on Monday, April 13, 2020, a Technical Assistant (TA) to the governor, Justice Ogbonna (aka Gbagam master), posted several pictures of different appointees of the governor (including himself) carrying 2×2 planks and blocking the Eke Market road, in a way reminiscent of touts.
Also identified in the pictures are the Coordinator of Afikpo North Development Centre, Mrs Amauche Otunta Godwin (who is also the CEO of Lamar, a popular eatery in Afikpo), Executive Assistant
to the governor on Youth Mobilisation and Empowerment, Hon. Oby Oko Enyim, a TA to the governor and Personal Assistant to a revered legal practitioner, Hon. Collins Eleri Otu (aka Shine Shine), among others.
Therefore, you can imagine the consternation of Afikpo residents when, at the behest of Umahi's ban on motorcycles and suspension of certain appointees, the aforementioned aides took it into their heads to please the governor in an unpopular way, despite almost every Ebonyian condemning the ban, which is the popular mode of transportation in the state, especially in rural areas.
In fact, donning yellow apparels, the appointees, who christened themselves as "taskforce", the way of all touts, turned abusive, even to the extent of going physical and descending on "defaulters" especially Afikpo residents going home on Okada.
Condemnations
Sharing his observation in a facebook post on Tuesday, April 14, an Afikpo resident bearing the name Odum Gburuagu, observed that the touts had to injure a resident with planks for what he couldn't fathom and appealed for caution on the part of the touts.
"At About 11am today, at Amuro roundabout, I saw some men on yellow regalia stone down a young man on a motor bike, with "2 by 2" planks; for God knows what. I have been wondering if Afikpo will not end up having more casualties from task force than the coronavirus itself. I pray for restrain and caution," he said.
Commenting on Ogbonna's post, a facebook user, Okpor Iyke Victor, said that the ban is calamitous and that the appointee-touts are just bootlickers displeasing their people; in order to please the state governor, even as he said that the post is ill advised.
He said: "How much are the appointees even being paid, if at all they are paid? The Okada riders association should rise up and chase them out of the road and beat them very well. Can't Hon. Amauche plead on behalf of her people? Or is that she doesn't know that the times are hard? So, if Umahi asks her to stop farming in Ehugbo (Afikpo), she will gladly take all those apron people to the Afikpo Traditional Council of Elders?
"Rubbish! It is all their business, but they should remember that, when the poor don't see what to eat, they will start eating the rich! They're licking Umahi's anus in the name of TSA, SSA, etc. So if cars smuggle or carry people from the border, Umahi will ban them? How many employment opportunities has Umahi created?
"Or do you think TSA and SSA are jobs? They can go to hell! it is pathetic that a full grown Ehugbo man, born and grown in Ehugbo, will joyfully post about the banning of Okada in Ehugbo. God forbid. The appointees are just useless."
Similarly, another facebook user, Eche Joseph, asked why the appointees should turn themselves to touts all in the name of pleasing Umahi, asking how many families they have fed since the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Please, when did TAs and SAs join agboro work (become touts) and how many of you guys have ever fed some of these okada men? Recall that it is the same Okada you used to campaign during the 2019 general elections. I don't blame you all, maybe you have plans other than checkmating COVID-19 outbreak," he said.
"Amauche should resign"
Also commenting on the ill advised post by Ogbonna, a facebook user, Okochi Okereke Cajetan, advised Hon. Amauche to immediately tender her resignation letter and focus on growing her eatery business, instead of descending to the level of touts, all in the bid to please the governor.
"My lady; beautiful and good lady, now that it has come to this, throw in your resignation paper. Banning okada is oppressive. It's just an advise my dear coordinator," he said.
I can kill for Umahi- TA boasts
Regrettably, even as of the time of filing this report, in his ingrained primary school English, Umahi's TA, Justice Ogbonna, has been boasting in the aforementioned facebook post that he is ready to please the governor, even if it means killing or injuring any Afikpo resident sighted atop any Okada.
Egged on by a misguided few, Ogbonna has been replying comments and warning Afikpo residents to either stay at home or have themselves to blame, especially as they are ready to go to any length to make sure that the governor achieves his objective of pauperising the people the more by taking away their means of livelihood.
"We must not over shine our master. The reason we were appointed by the governor is for us to carry out his policy.
You don't have to blame anyone," he said.
Paul Okah is an Abuja-based journalist, blogger and Vox Pop Editor for Blueprint Newspapers.
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