By Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli
Chief Timipre Sylva has a history of not honouring agreements, especially when dealing with those he considers inferior.
What’s happening now is not just a random encounter with three unwelcome guests: Karma, Nemesis, and Posterity. There are significant conspiracies against him from various quarters.
Even the APC-led Presidency doesn’t support him. He was among those who conspired to create an artificial fuel scarcity to tarnish the APC’s reputation and sway voters during the Presidential Election. This was in addition to Emefiele’s manipulation causing a shortage of Naira.
The Buhari cartel, opposed to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election, to which Sylva belonged, was formidable, but Tinubu outsmarted them. They did everything in their power to obstruct Tinubu’s election.
Sylva chose not to attend the Presidential Inauguration but went to the swearing-in of Gov. Siminalayi Joseph Fubara KSC of Rivers State, hoping that his alliance with Nyerisi Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike (NEW) would protect him. He wanted to exploit the apparent discord between Wike and Gov. Douye Diri, a consequence of the Presidential Election. However, he failed to understand the dynamic nature of politics.
NEW doesn’t feel any loss, as he now effectively governs Rivers State and the FCT Abuja, making him a significant figure in Nigerian politics. He shares a strong bond with President Tinubu, who credits NEW for defeating Atiku and achieving victory. NEW’s positive legacy and accomplishments in FCT Abuja work in his favour.
Sylva may have forgotten how he humiliated Senator Heineken Lokpobiri during their battle for control of the party structure in Bayelsa State. He also vehemently opposed Lokpobiri’s appointment as Minister, saved only by NEW’s determination to protect Lokpobiri’s interests.
How well has Sylva treated APC leaders in Bayelsa State, including Chief David Lyon, Rt. Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieyo, and others? His leadership style prioritizes impoverishment, underdevelopment, and disempowerment of those around him, employing a divide-and-rule strategy.
As the saying goes, “Nothing lasts forever except the kingdom of God.” Sylva’s tactics and tricks have lost their efficacy with time. The current favour is with incumbent Gov. Douye Diri, erasing all the goodwill Sylva once had.
Besides the legal barriers preventing Sylva from contesting, he has become so unpopular that his failure would be resounding if allowed to run.
Many around him complain about his reluctance to release funds, unaware that Sylva is mindful of their intentions to benefit from the national resources that he deprived them of during his tenure as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
Sylva’s story serves as a lesson for other leaders. They should realize that no one is irreplaceable, and their positions are temporary. Their true measure of success should be the number of people they help, not the wealth they accumulate, as everything fades with time.
– Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, a.k.a The Mirror and Conscience of Society.
