The Endless Smear Campaign Of Bukola Saraki By Bala Ibrahim

It is common among selfish people, when faced with the consequences of their inequities, to hold others responsible for their tribulations.

Nigeria’s Senate President, Mr. Bukola Saraki, is one of those with acute disposition to hold people responsible for the crises they have caused for themselves. It is sad to know that whenever he sinks like sediment and is faced with nemesis, he likes to point accusing fingers at perceived enemies. To him, the Nigeria Police and, by implication, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim K. Idris, are his trouble.

Today, just like yesterday, Bukola Saraki, out of the figments of his imagination, erroneously believes that his greatest problem is the IGP. His antecedents have clearly shown that most of his scheming, either within or outside the Senate chambers, are not only aimed at dirtying the image if the IGP, but are designed to convince the power that be, that the solution to the multiple political problems in the country lies with the removal of the police chief.

Most Nigerians have not forgotten how, in an attempt to blackmail the IGP, who enjoys the trust of Nigerians and the government, the Senate president induced other members to declare a ‘vote of no confidence’ on the IGP, on the frivolous excuse that he disregarded the invitation of the Senate, an invitation that arose out of the arrest, detention and escape of Senator Dino Melaye from Police custody. The Senate refused to entertain the representative of the IGP, a Deputy Inspector General in charge of operations, who was decidedly more abreast of the situation in question than the IGP himself.

Also, Saraki showed his desperation and the hatred he has for the person and office of the IGP during one of his meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari, which was convened to discuss state issues. Unfortunately, reports showed that the Senate President’s sole concern at that meeting was to ask for the removal of the IGP from office. This was because he has the impression that the multiple problems he has would not go away if Mr Idris remains at the helm of police affairs. His request was reported to have been turned down by the president, who insisted that he does not interfere with institutions, and lectured Saraki on how IGP, like himself and other public office holders, have sworn to an oath of office and are duty bound to defend such an oath.

Saraki also manifested his desperation to see the end of the IGP, when he orchestrated a propaganda against the police institution concerning a stage-managed siege on his residence which he directed by himself. Here, pointing accusing fingers at the police for this self-perpetrated heinous act is a way of giving the dog a bad name in order to get it hanged.

But one interesting thing here is that those Saraki wanted to impress with his story of police invasion, as well as those he wanted to deceive are not oblivious of the fact that the invasion was one of his game plans to continuously smear the name of the police.

The unfortunate Offa armed robbery is yet another incidence where Saraki has displayed insincerity and dishonesty in response to a critical issue. It is a statement of fact that the robbery suspects were actually the ones who brought up the names of Saraki and his men during investigation. But because Saraki does not or deliberately refuses to understand the basics of police works, his reaction was to accuse the Police of wanting to implicate him in the robbery incidence. He had deliberately truncated police investigations by his wolf-crying.

In his mission to embarrass the police chief, the senate president has mobilized some of his cronies in the red chambers to sustain the war against the Force. This was why, at a point, Senator Dino Melaye was heard threatening to kill himself in order to put the police in trouble, since all scheming by his master have become exercises in futility. Senator Misau, on his own part has never relented in his sustained smear campaign against the IGP and his family.

The most recent manifestation of the anti-IGP activities of Saraki and his cohorts was the siege on the National of Assembly by the men of the Directorate of State Security (DSS). Notwithstanding the fact that the condemnable act was orchestrated and executed by the DSS, Saraki and his men are still searching for ways to link it with the IGP. Considering their antecedent as anti-IGP warriors, every senate meeting provides an opportunity to conspire against the police chief in a relentless effort to paint him in bad light and probably confuse the government that he is not discharging his responsibilities well enough, today’s Senate meeting is yet another chance for them to do what they always do.

It would not be surprising to hear from the Senate chambers today the usual accusations against the Nigeria Police. One would also not be surprised to hear them re-echoing their ‘vote of no confidence’ against the IGP. They may even go further to call for his outright sacking as they have done before. In all these, the government has to be wise as it has always been. If the information making the round is anything to go by, the Saraki camp is a bereaved group. By the sacking of the DSS chief, who is said be working with them in laying sieges all around and relating vital information to them, they are now like wounded lions, looking for other victims.

They are also searching for ways to have their cohorts in such positions as the Police, EFCC, ICPC, DSS and NIA heads. Saraki’s war against the IGP is understandable. He has this erroneous belief that by the removal of the present IGP, there would be room to appoint another person who would not only be in his payroll, but who will also collaborate with him in frustrating the good efforts of the government of PMB.

At this juncture, I think it is rational to warn the Senate president against his continuous heating up of the polity. For, nothing has portrayed him as the enemy of the current democracy than all his activities that are counter-productive to the sustenance of our democratic exercise. As one of the prime beneficiaries of the system, he should be wary of activities that are capable of undermining the stability of the country, because he could be among those who may be consumed when the chips are down.