Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, PhD.
I hope we learn vital lessons from the ongoing altercations between Dele Momodu and Chief Wike.
Truth is, but for the fact that political fortune smiled and still smiles on Wike, he might not qualify as a Personal Assistant to Dele Momodu.
Dele has got some things going for him outside of politics. He has built a worldwide brand, that he created from the scratch. Wike hasn’t built anything. We may not be able to trace any One Million Naira made by Wike outside of politics. I am yet to be informed of any major litigation that Wike won as a lawyer for any client he retains.
It speaks to the pettiness of Wike that he could record his guest eating in his house. There is no amount of food that Wike could have served Dele Momodu, unarguably, from Rivers State government money, that Dele couldn’t afford, 1000 times over, from his personal pocket.
When a friend eats in your house, it shows good faith. That is what Chinua Achebe meant when he wrote; “
“A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so”.
Wike’s makes himself and untrustworthy blackmailer by sharing a video of his good times with his friend. A video that Dele obviously didn’t know exists. It is different from Dele’s picture of bags of gifts he shared with Wike, even while the latter was serving as a governor. That picture was already public and was taken with the knowledge of Wike. Dele shared it in defence of himself after Wike went on national TV to impugn him as a hungry man who always came to Port-Harcourt to beg for money. Obviously, Dele has been around and playing in the big leagues before Wike came from the motor park to government house.
Dele did not go to Rivers for food, he went to see a friend, and maybe, a client, in Wike. If Wike paid Dele for the services he rendered to him in burnishing his image and the image of the Rivers government, it wasn’t a favour, it was a payment for work done. It is only half-baked literates and self-conceited dimwits who try to demean professionals merely because they patronised them at some point.
One vital lesson we must take home from these ongoing exchanges involving Wike and his estranged associates, including, Dele, is that he never really believes in friendship or genuine political association based on ideals. It is obvious that Wike keeps receipts of even the smallest interactions and transactions while the going was good, with the aim of using the same against these individuals when the going goes sour. It is left to President Tinubu and those close to him to know how much to trust him.
Political associations can go sour and former allies can become sworn rivals. Criticisms may get fiery and exchanges can be in bare knuckles. However, gentlemen don’t discuss what was shared in private and confidence just to malign. You can criticize your former political friends and bosses, but it will only be necessary to share private dealings if they are the first to bring such issues to the public, and probably misrepresent your part in the deal. But, coming out to sing about the things you shared and discussed with people in public, without provocation, marks you as a petty, immature and unreliable.
Dele Momodu should understand the principle of getting into a fight with a pig. He knows that a pig relishes dirt and would gladly swim in the mud. So, if he wants to continue on these exchanges, he must be ready to play dirty. Wike should be taught that he does not have the monopoly of irresponsibility and pettiness.
I will sign off by reminding us that Wike is not a member of my Party, the APC. He is a contamination from the PDP. Even though he works with our Party, he hasn’t hidden his intent on destroying our Party by engineering discontent within the Party and administration. He has made more enemies for the President than friends and most of the troubles we will have to contend with in the 2027 elections should be blamed on him.
This is my personal opinion.