By
Rikwense Muri
The recent Social Media attacks on the person of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, the Senate Deputy Minority Leader by some political loyalists of His Excellency Arc Darius Ishaku, the executive Governor of Taraba State has become a source of worry to many of us who admire Sen Bwacha’s political ideology and leadership as the hope people of Southern Taraba and Taraba State in general.
I don’t want to mention names because I want this piece to serve as a caution for decorum. We are brothers in Southern Taraba and the fact that Senator Bwacha has never contested an election against DDI shows that this media attack is unnecessary.
The emphasis of these media attackers who are mostly P.A or S.A to the Governor who announce their “loyalty” to Darius before spewing out their incoherent attacks is also worrisome. Does loyalty to the Governor a license to attack the senator? I wish these P.A or S.A have a portfolio attached for me to analyze their performances, but as it stands 90% of these aides don’t have any portfolio or office outside salary, hence their only job now seems to attack the imaginary enemies of their boss. This is very unfortunate.
Does it mean to be loyal to Governor Darius, one must showcase hate towards a fellow party member and one of the most senior legislator from the state? I won’t have been this concerned had Senator Bwacha join the opposition party APC. My concern is rooted on the fact that Senator Bwacha is not just in PDP as a founding member but he is currently the number 2 citizen of the party serving as the Deputy Minority Leader of the party at the upper legislative Chamber whose contribution has always put the party at lamplight on national issues today.
Whatever the reason for the actions of the so-called loyalists of the Governor for this attacks, I want to make it clear on behalf of the youth stakeholders and the good people of Southern Taraba, We can’t exchange a political asset like Senator Bwacha for Governor Darius who is yet to prove his worth and pay his due to the zone after 5 years in power. Both of them are in PDP and I’m in APC, therefore my position cuts across party lines because once you’re elected to lead, you are expected to become a father of all. But what I see is a reality of the saying that when you have nothing to offer to your family, you start destroying and dividing the family.
Gov Darius actions and policies in the last five years has glaringly shown that he has little to offer to his PDP as a party or to Taraba State and a visit to southern Taraba shows he has nothing to offer to his people in the senatorial district. Therefore the only survival method is divide and rule tactics that we see everywhere today in our dear state. He offers little or nothing but demands everything from you including your dignity and freedom.
Sycophancy which former Governor Danbaba Suntai nearly eradicated in Taraba state during his tenure has returned with full force under the current Daram dam dam administration. Elders and youths are turning against each other to impress the rescue captain. Politics is now synonymous with gossip, slandering, character assassination and betrayal. Chaos, instability, tension, fear, and public mediocrity we see in the state today gives him a sense of satisfaction and feelings that he is in charge.
Look at how he has turned a lot of our vibrant politicians in Taraba state into timid men and women who even fear to speak out! A word of advice is now seen as disloyalty to the rescue captain. Silence is now the best strategy for survival.
In the midst of these sad realities, we have a man in PDP who cannot be bought or sold. A man who cannot be cowed into silence when the people are in agony. A man whose loyalty to his people supercedes his relationship to those in power. An asset that gives us hope of a better future despite the pains and agony of the present. I am talking about the man that Daram dam dam boys are trying day and night to destroy his hard earned reputation on the social media, Distinguished Senator Dr. Emmanuel Bwacha.
These media merchants have forgotten that Senator Bwacha have survived in the forefront of Taraba politics since 1991 because of who he is to the people. The man who has been trusted by PDP as the first Organizing Secretary in 1998, trusted by his local constituency as a member representing Donga in 1999, he was trusted by Taraba State as a Honourable Commissioner of Agriculture in 1999 even as a legislator. He was trusted by his federal constituency in 2003 and he has been entrusted with the mandate of southern Taraba since 2011 as a Distinguished Senator as the deputy minority leader. A man of peace and progress. His opposition is not destructive but constructive. Both PDP and APC respect him. But this is the same man Governor Darius Government and his media boys want to malign, discourage and politically destroy.
Tarabans are not fools to allow liability to frustrate assets. We can’t allow a political movement that is built on the foundation of the desire for personal gain, hate for diversity, malice, gossip and sycophancy to destroy a politician that we all know and trust for his love, peace and progressive mindset.
If His Excellency Architect Darius needs anything politically from Southern Taraba, he can get it easily with the support of his brother Senator Bwacha. Why destroy a man that use his Political structures to make you Governor? Very few people knew Gov DDI when he was escorted to Takum from Abuja and introduced to us by Senator Bwacha in 2014. It was Sen Bwacha’s protest against the candidature of Chief Obadiah Andoh as minister appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan that open the space for Darius to become a minister.
It is evidently clear that Senator Bwacha has given more to show love for his brother than his has received from his brother. That is why today it’s same Senator Bwacha that DDI feels orchestrating his downfall will guarantee him the needed relevance in Southern Taraba politics.
God is watching and he will judge. I have once challenged Senator Bwacha to respond to some of these attacks but his response was simple “I prays for Governor DDI to succeed, attacking me is no as important to me like my dream of seeing a better Taraba under this Government.” There is no day he doesn’t pray for the success of Taraba state government under the leadership of Gov Darius. He always request that we join him to pray for Governor Darius because there is more spiritual forces behind what is happening in the state than what we can see physically or politically.
If all the prayers and wishes of DDI and his boys is to see Bwacha go down to the mould, it is left for God to decide who to answer his prayers. Senator Bwacha has never contested any election against DDI. The origin of this hate and calculated attempt to isolate Senator Bwacha from the PDP family that he was a founding member, only God knows.
May God be the judge because the reputation of the people’s senator is under divine protection. Bwacha has been in politics since 1991 till date. He has contested election from the local government to Federal level. He has always depended upon God and his people to win elections. His Political future is safe in God’s hands irrespective of what men says.
