By Dr. Ugoji Egbujo

In 2015 one Livingstone Wechie emerged from nowhere.  With a file on his head and a microphone in his hand he went everywhere  announcing the rape of Rivers states. Those conversant with Nigerian politics recognized his magical dance steps.

And knew that a hidden drummer supplied the frenzied rhythm. He came before the Senate with teary eyes and a petition he wrote on behalf of the common people of Rivers State. Amaechi was too corrupt to be a minister in the government of a righteous Buhari, he exclaimed.

He said he was a watchdog.  He was the self acclaimed  founder and director of  Anti corruption organization, colorfully named —The Integrity Group. He said he was acting in good faith. He threw enough tantrums. It was a mission nearly accomplished. Amaechi was confirmed but his reputation was sullied.

Livingstone is back to television. He is back with a bag of confessions. He has proclaimed that  all the documents he brandished against Amaechi were all forged. Livingstone  is not a fraudster. He is a man of integrity.  He is a man of uncommon integrity.

Truly, not many  possess the courage for his  sort of patriotism. Many do hatchet jobs, don’t get their remunerations, and walk away. I know a man who wrote exams for someone and didn’t get his due. He didn’t run to JAMB to cry a confession.

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike

Prostitutes tell tales of promiscuous customers who refuse to settle after the act. Self respecting prostitutes don’t hold such defaulting customers by the crotches as some wild ones do. They simply walk away.  Perhaps  they lack Livingstone’s courage and patriotism.

Livingstone may be worthy of emulation then. He has come clean. He paints an unflattering  portrait of Governor Wike. He says the governor is exceptionally  unscrupulous. It’s  risky to believe Livingstone now. He says Wike used him.

And perhaps dumped him. He denies all criminal and moral responsibilities. Livingstone is a lawyer. But he shouldn’t be worried about being struck off the register. He thought the documents he carried on his head around the country then were genuine. It is unwise to label Livingstone a fool. Livingstone  fell with many others.

It was the  Livingstone files that a certain Rivers state commission of enquiry relied on to reach it’s legendary verdict.  It was on that once unimpeachable verdict that the Rivers state government stood and published a widely circulated white paper.

It was Livingstone that  threw confusion into the  Senate ethics committee and left them reasoning like drunken sailors. It was same Livingstone and his files that made the PDP caucus with all their wealth of commonsense  walk out of the Senate chambers the day Amaechi was confirmed. Those  forged Livingstone documents  left many in a lurch.

So Livingstone should not mourn.  Hopefully, old things have passed away. Livingstone, it appears, is now a very considerate man. He says we should forgive the members of the commission of enquiry. He says  they were misled.

Wike hasn’t told us if Livingstone who is now behaving like a hyena was once truly his Rottweiller. But he will speak soon. He likes to speak on Sundays, in church. Once the microphone reaches his hands, he reaches for his opponents. When he is done, taking  ten teeth for a tooth, he looks towards the cross, and hands them over to God.  What follows usually is a thunderous applause from a titillated congregation.

Livingstone, I heard you plan to squirrel into a hole. Gov Wike is a harmless butterfly. He is a Christian. Never mind that fake recording that had a voice like his threatening to eliminate an INEC official. He goes to church every Sunday.

He will only talk and talk , and hand you over to God. I don’t know what the Senate will do. They might summon those who should have given you proper home training. If they raise eyebrows they would tell them the Senate has powers to investigate all shortfalls to the federation account. So they must come with their company tax certificates even if they are petty traders.

I saw the PDP caucus walk out of the chambers the day Amaechi was confirmed. They had tears of righteousness in their eyes. Before they left, they had looked to the heavens and called on God. They called Him to judge those reprobates who went ahead with the confirmation and derailed your mission that day.

Now Livingstone, your confessions will make them feel miserable. This Senate doesn’t forgive. They found  unchartered routes through TETFUNDS and GTB. They will find a way.

Veteran watchdogs never stagger. Once they are well fed, they will take whatever comes. They can do a series of somersaults and remain unshaken. Livingstone has the agility of a cat. It’s no use speculating whether Livingstone merely changed owner or has cut the leash and appropriated freedom.  Time will tell.

I have often wondered why Wike with all the powers on his shoulders chose lamentations. I couldn’t understand  why his Attorney General  armed with a mountain of evidence has been so impotent against the arch enemy. Livingstone has helped me solve the puzzle.

Wike, he says, never planned prosecuting Amaechi.  Livingstone says what they had was a mountain of forged papers, ‘oluwole’ stuff.  Little wonder Wike hand nothing to give the court when the court sought evidence of ownership of the Ikoyi money.

Irrepressible Livingstone Wechie now wants his former master to tell the world why Rivers has not published a budget in the last two years. Livingstone is leaving no stone unturned. His old friends now call him a living liar.

But he is digging up and throwing around brand new allegations. He says Wike isn’t just  a tyrant  but that he is so petty he doesn’t allow his commissioners room to breathe let alone flourish. How can a governor corner road contracts and corner those for food and pens? It’s a little unfair.

I suspect the Rottweiller would visit Magu soon. And if we see him with a bag of fresh documents we won’t be surprised. We wont ask Livingstone whether he was mobilized in 2015, that’s a dead question. If he got something for transport like the journalists that went to synagogue after that building collapsed, that wont be corruption.

It’s enough that he has repented. Those who keep dogs know where to buy better dogs to replace  their dogs  that have strayed.

One day the truth  will set dogs and dog owners free.