The Public Affairs Office of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura recognize that people live today in a world of representation and a political leader of the stature of a governor will naturally face a constant challenge posed by the social construction of his image and identity given that people are bombarded by countless competing messages from various media platforms.
Because of this density in information chatter, we are duty-bound to clarify whatever issues may appear grey or confusing to the public as regards the conduct, action and utterances of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura who is an exemplary leader that continues to demonstrably combine compassion, humility and service with personal integrity to serve the good people of Nasarawa State.
Our attention has been drawn to the unfortunate road mishap involving the Governor’s convoy which was first published online by SUNDAY AKOJI on his FACEBOOK TIMELINE and most of his words were lifted verbatim and reported on SAHARA REPORTERS under the bold headline: “GOVERNOR TANKO AL-MAKURA OF NASARAWA STATE ON THURSDAY GAVE A STERN WARNING TO NIGERIAN CITIZENS ABOUT WHAT THEY MAY EXPECT FROM THE ERA OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC): “GO TO HELL!”. The incident has been distorted and is being been used by a certain Ms Lois Iorvihi to inflict irreparable damage and stigmatize Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura online by portraying him as being as a leader who is insensitive, impolite and excessively authoritative. In truth, this is not an extraordinary, sensational case of police brutality and abuse of power as Ms Lois Iorvihi's wants the public to believe but instead, it is a tragic incident that epitomizes Ms Iorvihi’s lack of respect for the conventions of road use and the basic cardinals of polite behaviour and constituted authority. It is a tragic incident that should never have happened in the first place and the way and manner the online community is awash with negative comments and portrayal of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura as being “animalistic, lawless, irresponsible and barbaric” is to say the least most unfair and certainly unfounded! Indeed the public has the right to freedom of speech and also to express themselves in however way or whatever language they deem fit; but for enlightened commentators on national discourse to throw unsubstantiated, unrestrained and prejudicial insults at the person of a sitting Governor like Umaru Tanko Al-makura who in truth is one of the humblest and urbane leaders in Nigeria today, and to label him with such undignifying tag as: “being a criminal, a beast and a wife beater” without looking at his personal antecedents which is well documented in the public domain and without simply asking for evidence before rushing to judgment; gives the impression that we do not give our elected leaders a measure of value, benefit of the doubt or see them as worthy representatives of our national ethos and consciousness.
UNDERSTANDING THE ALLEGATIONS OF LOIS IORVIHI:
According to Ms Lois Iorvihi: FIRST: Governor Al-makura’s dispatch riders overtook her car in Nasarawa Eggon and INSTRUCTED her to clear off the road;” SECOND: She claims that she TRIED TO STEER AWAY from the road, but a Hilux pick-up van loaded with heavily-armed anti-riot policemen shoved her car off the road! THIRD: She alleges further that: “Four policemen descended on her car using the nozzle of their rifles to dent, perforate and scratch the body of her car!” and FOURTH: Ms Lois Iorvihi told the world that her “brotherPLEADED WITH THE POLICE to take it easy and the Police dragged him out of the car and then proceeded to BEAT HIM TO A PULP with the butt of their rifles”.
Interestingly I was invited to state the side of government in the radio programme HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHDOG at KAPITAL FM 92 on 15th September 2015, whereupon I came face to face with Ms Lois Iorvihi. She was asked by the presenters to narrate her ordeal at the hands of Al-makura convoy and she proceeded to tell the tale in the radio studio with a few inconsistencies and blatant lies! When it was my turn to speak, I called the attention of audiences to the fact that the phrase “PULP” refers to something that has been crushed into a soft, wet, shapeless mass of material and it therefore follows that any human being who is thoroughly “beaten to a pulp” has been reduced to semi-liquid fluid or mush. Logically therefore it will be expected that the enlightened public should demand to see a photograph of Lois’s brother “who was beaten to this soft, fleshy pulp” and a Medical Report to prove this allegation, before rushing to condemn Governor Al-makura for a crime his convoy did not commit!
FIFTH: On SAHARA REPORTERS and other online news sites that have picked up her incongruous tale, Ms Lois alleged that: “SHE WALKED TOWARDS AN SUV whereupon the governor pulled down his tinted glass and without any prompting, he purportedly said: "Young girl, you are so rude. Look at how you're dressed like a prostitute!”; but while in the radio studio of KAPITAL FM, Lois altered her story by saying “a SEDAN drove to her and the window pane was pulled to reveal governor Al-makura who spoke to her!” So how we can be sure she actually spoke to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura? And even if she did, will an educated and democratically elected governor in today’s Nigeria stoop so low as to use such distasteful and derogatory word as “prostitute!” to address a lady? The third leg of this “mixed-up tale” scripted by Ms Lois Iorvihi is that her statement in the Police Station differs sharply from what was attributed to her online. This is a statement which she wrote voluntarily and without duress, which she submitted for record purposes at the police station. In this statement, she maintained that that she spoke to the governor but he did not call her “a prostitute” and that ADC to the governor did not call her “a rat!” Given the inconsistencies in her story, it won’t be long for the discerning public to come to the logical conclusion that this entire story with its three versions; this will only remain a blatant conjecture that is preposterous, ludicrous and hatched with the sinister purpose to inflict a damaging blow to the reputation of Umaru Tanko Al-makura! And if however one is to suspend logic and believe any or all of the three “contradictory tales” scripted by Lois Iorvihi, then we will assume that she actually SPOKE DIRECTLY to Governor Tanko Al-makura in person; and if that is true, then the governor must be a rare leader who does not give heed to his security because it is likely that in such a volatile and tense situation, Ms Iorvihi could well be a suicide bomber who was using hysteria and theatrics to gain close access to the governor so that she could detonate a bomb; yet he did not instruct any security personnel to shield her from making her way to his car (either the SUV or SEDAN) and talking to him! All we can say is that it is out of character and defies every ounce of logic for Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura to utter such crass and unrefined words as “Look at how you're dressed like a prostitute!” The true and accurate account of what happened was that on Thursday 10th September 2015 around 3pm on approaching Nasarawa Eggon, Ms Lois Iorvihi was driving in the middle of the road and deliberately decided to block the convoy of Governor Al-makura from overtaking her. This was a wilful action because she remained in the very CENTER of the road on purpose despite vigorous gestures from the outriders for her to shift to the side. In fact if she driven on her own side of the road, which is the usual norm, she will have opened up space for on-coming vehicles to pass on the other side of the road and the governor’s convoy will have simply overtaken her! To make matters worse, Ms Iorvihi had an infant in the front seat, which was against the law and two other passengers, which was why the convoy trailed slowly behind her until she was gradually hedged to the side and then she came out of her car screaming at the top of her voice saying; “Do you know who I am? I am a lawyer and the daughter of a Police Commissioner!” While the status of her father as a Police Commissioner may have buoyed her to obstruct the convoy and also act in such a brazen manner, we choose to believe that her own father who has gone through the drill-sergeant discipline and mentality of the respectful Police Force of Nigeria will not accost lady on the road and make a such crass statement as: “Look at how you're dressed like a prostitute!”, least of all a well cultivated civilian governor like Tanko Al-makura!
CONSTRUCTIVE OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE IORVIHI TALE:
(1): Dispatch Riders drive over 100 metres ahead of the Governor to clear the way. Usually there is enough time for a car to pack to the curb or make way. As a driver who is experienced enough to drive on a major highway, Ms Iorvihi will have the expertise to simply shift to the side of the road as instructed by the dispatch riders, but she refused! Even more-so as she is the daughter to a retired Police Commissioner, she will know that making way for convoys, fire service, bullion vans or ambulance is a symbolic form of respect for road conventions and traffic regulations which are accepted worldwide. (2): She also alleged that before she could get out of the way, a Police Hilux van shoved her off the shoulder of the road. There is a form of defensive driving taken by all convoys as a security precaution. They block any suspicious vehicle from intruding into the line-up of cars in a convoy only as a security measure (PS: We all recall how President Buhari’s convoy was attacked by a car which infiltrated his convoy and detonated a bomb on July 23, 2014 in Kaduna with clear assignation intent. (3): It is also noteworthy that the exact spot at Nasarawa Eggon where this incident occurred is noted for being dangerous. That was the same spot where Senator George Akume was once attacked, so security is at its highest alert at this particular place. (4): Ms Lois Iorvihi alleges that the Police “dented and scratched her car!” If her car was damaged in any way, she has every right to seek legal redress just as much as the Police have the right to investigate her intrusive conduct as being both a security threat and most probably a sinister ploy orchestrated by the political opposition for Ms Iorvihi to deliberately block Governor Al-makura’s convoy and instigate a forceful reaction on the part of his security detail which will now be quickly framed as brutality and abuse of office. This is a realistic and probable theory given that there is an active effort to discredit the electoral mandate freely given for Al-makura to serve as 2nd term governor in Nasarawa State.
VALID QUESTIONS BEGGING FOR ANSWERS:
This debacle has thrown up some posers yearning for answers:
(1): Why did Ms Lois Iorvihi choose to drive in the middle of the road instead of to one side of the road and with obdurate intent in deliberately obstructing Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura’s convoy?
(2): What does the blare of a siren, whether those of a governor’s convoy, ambulance, fire service, or bullion van signify to Ms Iorvihi?
(3): If Ms Lois Iorvihi refuses to give way at the sound of siren, when she doesn’t know the reason for which the siren is trailing her; wouldn’t her adamant refusal constitute a danger to herself and to other road users?
(4): Isn’t it responsible and law-abiding for a person who is driving a car to heed the horn or siren of another car which is coming from behind?
(5): Does Lois Iorvihi have the exclusive right to insist on remaining in the middle of a highway and drive at a leisurely speed for about 3-5 minutes, while deliberating blocking and restraining every other vehicle coming behind (including the Governor’s convoy) from over-taking her?
(6): Why did Ms Lois Iorvihi choose to block Governor Al-makura in Nasarawa Eggon? Judging by the traditional ethno-political complexities of the area, vis-à-vis Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura’s electoral fortunes, should this potential security breach by Ms Lois Iorvihi intransigence on the road not be given closer scrutiny?
(7): Who will stand to gain from orchestrating a full blown negative media campaign against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura at this point in time when judgement has been reserved in the Governorship tribunal of Nasarawa State?
(8): Did Ms Lois Iorvihi vote in Nasarawa State or is she trying to vent her frustrations at the APC given that her father may have served as a retired Police Commissioner under the previous PDP administration?
(9): Why did her father who is/was a Police Commissioner and whom she called during the episode; and who in-turn phoned the Commissioner of Police in Lafia, not deter his own daughter from pursuing the flood of online media attack on Governor Al-makura given that the Police in Lafia treated his daughter with courtesy and even accommodated her at Hillcon Hotel?
(10): Did Ms IORVIHI record all the dialogue which “allegedly” transpired between her and the governor such that SUNDAY AKOJI can “replicate” the alleged “governor’s words” verbatim online?
(11): Did SAHARA REPORTERS collect a taped recording of the governor’s voice so as to ascertain that the entire story is actually true and credible? If Ms Lois Iorvihi, Sunday Akoji, SAHARA REPORTERS and the ONLINE COMMUNITY, who are castigating Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, are doing so without any shred of evidence and are gingered nay spurred to “crucify” and destroy his reputation, would this not amount to a deliberate hate campaign?
(12): Why did Ms Lois Iorvihi inform the policemen in the governor’s convoy about her father being a Police commissioner? Was it meant to deter the policemen from reasonably interrogating her irrational behaviour on that day?
(13): First Ms Lois Iorvihi said online that the “governor” called her a prostitute! Then she said in her police statement that the governor did not call her a prostitute, and she carefully avoided saying anything about being labelled a “prostitute” during the radio interview at Kapital FM. She however said online and in the radio studio that she was detained in the police station in Lafia overnight, while she actually slept at Hillcon hotel opposite Lafia polytechnic with room receipt no 101063. Will it be proper to consider these as false statements and blatant lies?
These and many more are valid questions begging for answers!
WHY WE DID NOT WANT TO JOIN ISSUES:
In 2014 an unbiased reporter by name JIBRIN NDACE who works with BLUEPERINT Newspaper in Abuja was embedded with Governor Al-makura’s convoy to cover an inspection of projects in Nasarawa State. Along distant roads and long hours of travel for about a week, Ndace was genuinely shocked and so impressed with the safety standards of the governor’s convoy that that he was moved to write an article which extolled the unique and impressive operating standards of the convoy to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura. The governor himself has refrained from joining issues with Ms Lois Iorvihi so that it doesn’t remain a he-said / she-said story saga. Since investigation is on-going by the Police and even the National Human Rights Commission is taking its time to consider the petitions in this regard, all will be unravelled in time; and the truth will come to light! Suffice it to say we are gravely concerned about the negative onslaught and misrepresentation of the personality of Umaru Tanko Al-makura and the gross imbalance in outflow of comments against our principal, which is being orchestrated online. We therefore believe that it is necessary to put the entire episode in context and state certain facts which will establish the antecedents of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura and re-emphasize the factual operating standards and protocol of the convoy to the Nasarawa State government. That is the reason for this long drawn analysis.
THE SIMPLE TRUTH ABOUT GOVERNOR UMARU TANKO AL-MAKURA:
As many are well aware, Umaru Tanko Al-makura is a politician of exemplary antecedent who entered the race to become Governor of Nasarawa State in 2011 as a Person living with the disability of deafness in both ears. He started his career as a school teacher and the way he dispenses power is noteworthy. First, Umaru Tanko Al-makura is not a governor who revels in the pomp and finery of office. When you meet Governor Al-makura, his personality is at once striking in his refreshing down to earth and common man style of leadership. He is distinctive for his advocacy posture on behalf of People living with Disabilities and as evidence of his determination to remain close to the people, to this day Umaru Tanko Al-makura dedicates hours at the end of each day dealing with and replying to text messages sent by the people of Nasarawa State and only recently he adopted a six year old disabled boy from the streets. Umaru Tanko Al-makura’s style of leadership is anchored on the sacred principles of transparency, accountability and above all, the fear of God and his words, actions and real world policies and programmes are hinged on the purpose to create a compassionate and inclusive society. This is a man whose his life is guided by an all-encompassing Islamic concept that includes modesty, decency, and inhibition against flagrant behaviour. That is why when the smear campaign began, all he said was “God knows the truth and discerning Nigerians will not be fooled by this sinister conspiracy!” I differed on this count with his Excellency of course because Nigerians are quick to feed fat feed tantalizing rumours. (That was how most of us went about drinking and bathing our children in salt water to avoid being inflicted with Ebola!). The simple truth however is that the entire people of Nasarawa State including the often unbridled political opposition and masters of conspiracy who once flouted the rumour that he was a member of the outlawed Ombatse ethnic militia; know that whenever there is need for Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura to talk about sensitive subjects, he speaks in a language that is fully cloaked in decency and propriety. Without doubt Governor Al-makura is a gentleman whose vocabulary and idiom of engaging the public is to speak with deference and respect. Umaru Tanko Al-makura is a simple man who abhors obsequious sycophancy and avoids titles of respect in places where they would be routinely used which is why on assumption of office in 2011, he deviated from the prevalent modes of expression and insisted that he should not be called “EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR” but simply “GOVERNOR!” He also instructed that the title “ALHAJI” should be detached from his name, but that citizens should simply address him as Umaru Tanko Al-makura, the Governor Nasarawa State. In April 2012, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura went to the market in Lafia and carried a basin of Alebo (flour) where he told the market women that he used to sell Alebo as a child to assist his mum. As evidence of his determination to remain close to the people, to this day Umaru Tanko Al-makura dedicates hours at the end of each day dealing with and replying to text messages sent by the people of Nasarawa State and only recently adopted a six year old disabled boy from the streets. Recently in order to improve the quality of life for people living in the Karu axis of Nasarawa State, Governor Al-makura spent seven whole days trekking from Maraba to Kabayi road, where he will stop to bend over gutters, peep into culverts and step into unavoidable puddles of muddy stagnant water, all in a bid to see how blockages caused by dumping of refuse clog the pathways for rain-water can be cleared. Al-makura is a humble man and a compassionate leader whose respect for women has made him retain till date, the longest serving Secretary to the State government of any state in Nigeria! It simply defies logic to see how such a person, whose convoy has been given an award for exemplary conduct, can be accused of authorizing brutality against a woman on the road!!!
IS THE NARRATIVE OF MS IORVIHI FLAWED OR SUSPECT?
Ms Lois Iorvihi was accused by the Police of OBSTRUCTING THE CONVOY OF GOVERNOR UMARU TANKO AL MAKURA and BEING INTENTIONALLY RUDE TO GOVERNOR UMARU TANKO AL MAKURA, but as a courtesy to her father who is former Commissioner of Police, the same Police put her up at Hillcon hotel in Lafia and told her to write a Letter of Apology to the Governor. Meanwhile, all the Police requested from Ms Lois Iorvihi was a simple Letter of Apology to the Governor. That will have been the end of the matter until Ms Lois Iorvihi went online with a carefully crafted narrative which is meant to inflict maximum damage on the image, personality and reputation of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura. Most people do not go around accusing other people of things they did not do, and as a result we tend to assume that there must be some reasonable basis for the allegation-even if it ends up being a misunderstanding. An allegation as grave as that of Lois is believed on face value, even in the absence of evidence because it is so extreme and outrageous that the thought of the accusations being false is itself a violation of social norms. But no rational, responsible, moral Governor of an entire State would say to a lady on the road “you are dressed like a prostitute!” This is both an over-kill and an exaggeration of the detail of the road mishap. It is often very difficult for people to change their minds once they have decided that a person is guilty: "The problem is that once you form a strong belief that someone is guilty of a crime, the contradicting details are just that: they are details that don't fundamentally change our belief in their guilt,” and it may even be hard to sympathize with a man or woman falsely accused of a crime unless you've been in that situation yourself. However that is the price you pay for being a public figure and a leader. For without doubt we stand on the moral high ground that “the triumph of lies over truth is only temporary!”
LEADERSHIP AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS:
To be a leader is like being a parent to an entire society. To be a parent is a privilege and a responsibility to prepare a child for the world she/ he lives in. There is an essential relationship between parenting and leadership. Parenting is "pure" leadership because parents, like all good leaders, must motivate their children to excel. That is why good leadership is almost always motivational. Officers in the Police and Armed forces are led by a form of drill sergeant nurturing, because all what is expected of them is simply compliance. However, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura is a consultative leader whose style of leadership is defined by both love and logic. He is not a benevolent dictator but a consultant leader who encourages individual responsibility and keeps the problem on the individual who owns it. Umaru Tanko Al-makura’s form of leadership relies on the use of questions like given the situation Ms Lois Iorvihi found herself: “What could she have done differently?” The aim of Al-makura was not punitive but a humane effort for Ms Lois Iorvihi to take this obstruction of government convoy, in an age of fragile security, as an opportunity for deep reflection and self-examination. The purpose being, if Ms Lois Iorvihi is confronted with such a scenario in the future, she will hopefully handle it better with a sense of restraint and accepting both the responsibility and consequences of her actions and utterances. Telling the truth and admitting that a person made a false accusation can surely be a terrifying prospect. It requires a person to accept responsibility for their choices and behaviour and admit having done a grievous injustice to an innocent person. But as young people we should imbibe the truth in the words of NELSON MANDELA who once said to youths:” As future leaders there are certain responsibilities which we expect you to observe. One of this is utmost discipline. If you are not disciplined, you can never win our confidence!” Discipline starts with self-restraint and respect for common place values and simple traffic regulations and most of all telling the truth and nothing but the truth! So help me God!!
LASTLINE: Who is the father of Ms Lois Iorvihi? Was he (Or) is he in actual fact a Commissioner of Police in the Nigeria Police Force (Or) did he die a Superintendent? That’s an assignment for online warriors and commentators!
Yakubu Lamai
Senior Special Assistant: Public Affairs & Media Strategy
to Nasarawa State Governor.