“Police now uniformed thugs of those in power” – Pat Utomi
In an apparent reaction to the role of the police in Saturday’s Rivers Local Government elections, a renowned political economist and Labour Party chieftain, Pat Utomi, has raised an alarm over the conduct, accusing the police of serving as “uniformed thugs of those in power.”
In a social media post following his visit to Port Harcourt, Prof Utomi expressed concern over the atmosphere in Riveres and described his return to the city as a moment that confirmed what he termed “forebodings long feared.”
He wrote on his X, “the forces aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have created an environment where the people feel both stressed and strangely unbothered, despite what he called “the smell of coming anarchy” hanging in the air.
“Wike and Fubara forces line up, the people felt stressed but strangely unperturbed; the smell of coming anarchy in the air mixed with the rains that came down sporadically, and the elders spoke softly about being captured and held hostage,”
The political Economist further extended the criticism to the judiciary, accusing this arm of government of having “no shame” in their potential complicity in the erosion of democracy.
He warned that the judiciary might ultimately be blamed for what he sees as the decline of Nigerian governance.
He also lamented that some government officials appeared indifferent to the growing instability, likening their behaviour to “Nero fiddling as Rome burnt.”
Utomi also pointed out the failure of leadership in Nigeria, referencing the song Cicero Park by Hot Chocolate: “Life is dying out… don’t let it happen in your time.”
He therefore called on elders, professionals, and students to rise to the occasion before the “creeping” anarchy gains momentum, warning that those in power seem oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
