Fintiri Caught In The Web Of Poor Crisis Management, Bad PR

By Ibrahim Mada

Going by developments in Adamawa State, governor Fintiri’s meltdown and embarrassing showmanship against a citizen of the state is not unexpected.

About a fortnight ago, the governor was heard in a viral audio clip issuing threats to the life of an Adamawa State citizen, Gambo Bello Nakura, for accusing him of playing significant role in fueling the crisis that engulfed the state rendering it lawless for close to 48 hours.

In a video interview conducted by an Adamawa based online medium known as Voice of Arewa (VOA), Nakura disclosed that the failure of the Fintiri led administration to distribute relief items to the hapless citizens contributed significantly to the coalescing of pent-up anger into a huge cauldron that nearly consumed the state resulting into massive destruction and looting of government and public properties.

More disturbing, however, is the fact that despite riveting signs of an imminent and creeping breakdown of law and order, the Fintiri government refused to act pro-actively to stem the ugly tide.

The failure of the government to contain the upheaval even became glaring as it remained passive to trending social media calls urging youths to come out that fateful Sunday by 10:00am to launch swift attacks on government warehouses in order to cart away hoarded palliatives for which the youths lay moral right of ownership due to the belief that the government hoarded the palliative so that they will use it to gain political mileage come 2023 general election.

But as the youth fulfilled their promises of attacking such facilities, the government on the other hand failed woefully to fulfill one of its cardinal responsibilities of protecting lives and properties of the citizens.

That is why even though the governor was very much in town straddling his Dougire enclave of power, the state was almost consumed by a conflagration and wanton violence never witnessed in its history.

Even the Maitasine riots that engulfed the state in the 1980’s did not lead to the loss of so much properties as those affected by the vandalization count their losses in billions of naira.

And another troubling dimension to the crisis, pundits opined, is that after two warehouses in Kwanar Waya and Bakin Kogi were vandalized, the governor imposed a 24 hour curfew but even in the face of such curfew, vandals and looters continued their siege on the state.

A political commentator, Clement (name changed) believes that “The explanation to this sad drift is that the chief security officer is apparently not in control of the security architecture of the state for obvious reasons.

“One finds it difficult to situate a scenario where in a democratic environment, the governor who by his constitutional calling should ensure the protection of lives and properties, is the one issuing treats to critics.

“If the governor knows that he has no respect for democratic ethos, he should humbly leave the scene so as not to pollute the political atmosphere with violence.”

It is poignant to note that in the north east, only Adamawa and Taraba States came under such attacks. One issue that can be ascribed to the deterioration of the situation in Adamawa has to do with monumental procrastination by the government.

“But the governor’s predilection with absolving himself from blame at all cost made him to deploy the worst damage control measures by out-rightly lying to the people.

“The governor’s media team in a malevolent slap to the sensibilities of the people simply told them the audio clip was doctored.

“By doing that both the governor and his media team lost a golden opportunity to show remorse which is an important ingredient of leadership.

“And by making such vainglorious claim, the media team exposed their ignorance of the workings of the ICT.

“A person with elementary knowledge of ICT knows that you cannot doctor, superimpose, infiltrate or distort a phone conversion between two people in the manner the threatening phone call between Fintiri and Nakura took place.

“Before making such venal release, the media team should have sought a professional advice on how such things operate.

“What do you think would have happened had the governor approached the man whose life he threatened and told him I’m sorry?

“But from his antecedent and those close to him, the governor will find it difficult to embrace such diplomatic gesture because it seems to be obverse to their beliefs and convictions.

“To push home my point, the story of an associate of the governor, one Steven Maduwa who threatened to slaughter a journalist in the state for carrying out his duties speaks volume of the mindset of Fintiri and his ilk.

“But the governor and his band of notorious antidemocratic associates should be told in clear terms that their brand of democracy is a misnomer and alien to the accepted norm practiced the world over, Clement concluded.

Despite the fact that Adamawa is one of the most politically sensitive states in Nigeria, it is on record that political brigandage and thuggery are never its portion right from the era of Saleh Michika the first executive governor up till this moment. This is attributable to the fact that Adamawa people are knowledgeable and informed.

“Fintiri should therefore be told in unambiguous language that the state cannot accommodate his type of politics,” Clement further enthused.

Sequel to the governor’s threat, a number of politicians especially those in the opposition political party have spoken in hushed tones about the existence of such threats by Fintiri’s political associates and hangers on.

For instance Dr. Umar Ardo has accused the governor of using thugs to attack his house and even threaten his life and those of his supporters.

The anarchy being hoisted does not stop at the opposition politicians as even journalists are continuously facing hard times doing their work in Adamawa State.

The case of Tom Garba, the journalist who was threatened with a death sentence by Fintiri’s close ally according to many sources is just a tip of the iceberg, as journalists especially those who stick to the narrow path of telling truth to power are becoming endangered species in Adamawa State.

The situation was not helped by the subservient role the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Donald Dedan, who transformed to the errand boy of the governor by serving as his master of ceremonies at government functions, is doing.

Such is the reason journalists in the state are facing open and silent threats because the people who should defend them have become the errand boys of the governor.

Information indicated that in Adamawa State, journalists are classified into two groups, the governor’s friends and his enemies.

“It is my informed view that civil society as well as rights groups should wade into the drift in Adamawa so as to checkmate the undemocratic tendencies of the governor, before he transforms into a full blown dictator,” Clement finally averred.