Date Published: 08/17/09
Another Hatchet man’s job by Maximus Uba…the tireless mud-sliding of the media
By Greg Okechukwu-Nwadike
The media has often been described as watchdog of society. It is the source through which the image of any component of life is either destroyed or enhanced. Since the world has become a global village through the improvements in our Information and Communication Technologies, the media has equally become both the mouthpiece and the ear of the world.
It has therefore become necessary for media operators to be men of unquestionable characters, pure conscience with good moral exhibition in order to be excellent drivers of society. This is because the operators are like the captain of a ship. The ship’s smooth sail is dependent on the ingenuity of the captain.
Recently, the media in Nigeria; especially the print has been used by some dodgy and unprincipled men against their perceived enemies. These characters, for the simple fact that they have unrestricted access to the media have either resorted to it as a tool for their selfish desire or as machinery for blackmail and mercenary activities. It has become a trend worse than kidnapping as the sole aim has always been invitation for settlement.
This, to me is an unacceptable route that media regulators in the country have a duty to challenge. The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) also has the civil responsibility of looking inwards and sieving the chaffs from the real grains before they occupy the place of the real food.
Having said this, I wish to refer to a recent publication in national dailies credited to one Maximus Uba who my recent checks revealed that moves from one hotel to another in Abuja while claiming he writes from Mbaise in Imo state as a journalist.
While the constitution of Nigeria accords individuals the rights to expression and hold opinions, it is pertinent however to note that one’s’ right ends where the other one’s begins thus any opinion that infringes on peoples’ freedom just like the recent allegations against Governor Ohakim by Uba is an aberration and must be checked.
Inasmuch as I do not intend to serve as a defense council to the Imo state governor Ikedi Ohakim through this write up, or even try to pre-empt the findings of the state’s legislature which in its wisdom has set up a committee to investigate Uba’s recent allegations against the Imo governor, I would wish to briefly take the public on a personality ride of this character based on my findings on him.
The sole purpose is to truly ascertain where he is coming from and possibly verify the claims previously made by some writers about him that the said Uba is a wounded lion hell bent on claiming his pound of flesh.
A man who is credited to have written over 180 stinker articles against his governor must sure have been highly bruised. But my checks have proved otherwise as all through there was nothing to have warranted the non-stop attacks against Governor Ohakim other than perhaps the fellow is looking for the usual Nigerian style of recognition.
But it seems the Governor must have known the past records of this fellow so much that he sort of vowed not to dine with him even with a longer spoon. Determination and strong will are some interesting qualities of the devil. It does not throw in the towel too quickly so Uba must persist in his campaign of calumny against Ohakim.
Information on Maximus Uba showed that he played major role during the days of the Chief Arthur Nzeribe’s infamous Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) which scuttled the freest and fairest elections (June 12) ever recorded in the history of Nigeria.
I also discovered that too much money was made available for the devil’s advocate and Uba, served as the unofficial media (attack-dog) aide to Senator Arthur Nzeribe where he projected ferociously the Abacha-for-live-Presidency at the detriment of his conscience.
Maximus Uba “was in the media vanguard of the Abacha junta and he churned out false, puerile pieces on the media to back up the former maximum ruler’s ignominy. They conned huge amounts of money out of Abacha; organized a stupendous five million man-march, produced Abacha rice, Abacha TV and Abacha badges and he swore he would commit suicide should Abacha refused to be President of Nigeria. But today, Uba is still alive when Abacha died before his target.
But Nzeribe severed his relationship with Uba when he discovered that Maximus was more dangerous than a hybrid monster bred without control. While in the pay roll of the maverick senator, Uba showed a terrible smack of his media naivety when, rather than laundering the image of the embattled senator built him more enemies than friends.
Popularly known for nose for where only money rains, Maximus later found his way into the political garrison of Andy Uba and became the media adviser to the former domestic adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Today, the Anambra politician is gropingly immersed in image fortification in his state and waiting to be the next governor of that state.
Former Gov. Achike Udenwa was smartly conscious of the devil in Maximus that he resorted to the use of the proverbial long spoon while eating with him. But be that as it may, the diarrhea running pen of Maximus continued to screech over the former governor whenever his bank accounts ran blank.
So when the 2007 general elections came, Uba’s Judasaic judgment once again led him to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume where then the cash was uncontrollably flowing and he became the propaganda machine of the Mbano-born senator.
To Maximus, Chief Ikedi Ohakim was a rabble-rouser working for a political appointment from Ararume during his campaigning days. But he forgot that real Kings are made by God, not man as Ohakim through divine call won the governorship of Imo state.
Envy, they say provides the mud with which desperation throws at success because broken hopes and shattered dreams can frustrate a limp-hearted man. So he looks for a loop hole with which to attack a successful man. You can tell a failure by the way he criticizes success.
A man who has not been able to keep a successful family would never make a good follower let alone a leader because the best followership begins from the home. Knowing the man and his Abuja marriage scandal, I wonder what the hell he thinks about leading a people.
It was one of the ancient Greek philosophers in history that declared “in few men only is it part of nature to respect a friend’s prosperity without begrudging him” even as nature presents death many times to the fool caught in the cobwebs of a drowning game.
The scent of the he-goat is right from its marrows otherwise the rain would have sluiced it. The instability in ideology and lack of political topography of the self-seeking Maximus brought him back to Gov. Ikedi Ohakim to beg for the position of a press secretary to the governor.
But it is only a fool that would employ his enemy as his Personal Assistant just as no sane person expects to withdraw his money from a particular bank having deposited the same cash with another. His loyalty was in serious doubt therefore he was denied the position.
Shamelessly, Maximus again commenced lobbying for appointment as a member of Transition Committee in the state and when this did not also materialize, he approached the governor to sponsor his overseas scholarship.
In some parts of Igbo land, it has become an acceptable norm to package travelling documents for unmanageable, recalcitrant and wayward children in families. The families send them to Europe, or Asia where whether they come back refined and successful, or dead, are all gains to the families.
While Maximus Uba’s application for foreign scholarship was still undergoing verification and possible consideration, the scalawag in his impatience went back to his former pay master, Ararume and commenced once again his pen war.
He had ostensibly believed that Ararume would boot out the people’s governor at the Port Harcourt’s final judgment but got the terrible shock of his life. Ohakim won at the ruling and once again Uba came back apologizing to the governor. But Ohakim is awake.
The greatest gift nature endowed on the snake is its smartness. Uba smartly discovered that the APGA candidate (Martin Agbaso) whom he had eventually pitched his tent with shortly after Ararume’s ouster and Ohakim’s coldness to his apologies, had no intention of flying money around or perhaps the man was simply avoiding him; he took a brief French leave to strategize.
Today he is back again with more venom to pour. His recent gimmick is to cause more confusion in the state just as he already runs a confused family with several Abuja, Kogi and Mbaise wives scattered all over the country.
Uba is yet to recover from the shocks of the refusal of his many vigils by God to deny Governor Ohakim recognition in the PDP but God does not hear the prayer of a villain for Ohakim not only successfully returned to the Party but is also now in charge.
Today, the extortionist is up for war and this time has found himself in the camp of the former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu who has been throwing up criticisms against Ohakim for leaving his family company, the PPA.
My worry is that Maximus Uba as a journalist he calls himself had always refused to balance his writings to equally capture some of the good jobs of the governor. He has persistently shown that he has a personal war to settle with Ohakim and my take is that this personal issue should not be allowed to disrupt the peace of the state.
It would be recalled that earlier in the year, Uba went to court seeking a perpetual order of the court restraining the Imo governor from arresting and or detaining him based on his write-ups. He is apparently afraid of the lies he is feeding the public and thinks that anyone is after him.
While it could be said however that Uba’s application is still in court, the conman had again gone to press last week bringing up allegations of threat to life against the governor. This is where my curiosity once again aroused as I could not avoid asking what exactly the motive of this man is.
Uba would have waited for the court to dispense of his court case before his rush to the press. I am even disappointed that the court has refused to order for his arrest up till this moment.
The truth is that the project of painting the governor’s image with a tar brush awarded to Maximus Uba has failed as Imo people are well aware of his antics. He is a loner dancing naked the dance of death which no one has been willing to applaud him.
Mine is to challenge the Imo state House of Assembly and all the discerning minds of the state to rise up and do justice to Uba’s allegations. The honourable members who have decided to investigate these allegations must ensure that fair hearing is given to each party by summoning them before the committee.
Uba should also be made to produce the facts of his allegations and when found to be true justice be allowed to him. But where he is not able to show evidence to back his claims, he must be prosecuted for wrongfully inciting the public against their governor. This is to guard against future occurrences and the time to sanitize the media industry is here.
Greg Okechukwu Nwadike is a media practitioner. He is the Coordinator, Imo Peoples Movement (IPM) Abuja and Northern region. He is based in Abuja.
Greg Okey Nwadike
Discovery News Nigeria
Garki, Abuja
08056454115
