Penultimate week, while commissioning a multi-million naira Sport Complex at Degema consulate, headquarters of Degema Local Government Area, the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, described the Kalabari Governorship aspirants in 2015 general elections as “buccaneers”.
I picked up my dictionary and find the meaning of the word “buccaneers”. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th edition, Buccaneer means, “a sailor who attacked ships at sea and stole from them. “A person who achieves success in a skillful but not always honest way”. In other words, a buccaneer is a pirate, thief, evil doers.
It surprises me to hear a serving governor describing fellow politicians as buccaneers. However, not well satisfied with the definition of buccaneer in the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, I quickly picked another dictionary, “The Complete English Language Companion” to find out the synonyms of the word “buccaneer”. Another word for buccaneer include: free booter. Freebooter simply means, “a person who takes part in a war in order to steal goods and money”.
Today no fewer than fifteen (15) Kalabari politicians are eyeing the Brick House. And these aspirants to the best of my knowledge have created positive impact in their various trades, professions or endeavours. Some of them are ex-lawmakers, technocrats, career politicians, businessmen, religious leaders, traditional rulers, amongst several others.
It is very funny and annoying to describe such caliber of personalities as pirates, freebooters, criminals and thieves. I am not a spokesman of any of the aspirants to defend them. They should defend themselves and tell Governor Amaechi who they are. But one thing I know and I am very sure, none of them are “buccaneers”, they are respected personalities in the Kalabari kingdom.
The Governor has insulted their personalities, and that statement is libelous, defamatory and damaging. Two things are involve now: the governor should apologize to them or the aspirants concerned should take a drastic action to redeem their image they have built over the years. ###
