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Wike Hinges Loss On Betrayal, Sabotage
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has said that some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors ganged up with some vested interest groups to derail the quest of Southern Nigeria to produce the next president of Nigeria.
He said it was the agreement of the governors of Southern Nigeria that the Presidency should come to the South, insisting that he did not betray the agreement.
The Rivers State governor made the explanation at a grand reception organised by Rivers people, last Monday, in Port Harcourt to welcome him back from Abuja after the PDP presidential primary.
Wike described as shameful the inability of some of those who were part of the agreement to stick to the agreement when it mattered.
He accused them of selling out, and frustrated the collective efforts that would have secured the PDP presidential ticket for the South.
“I contested in an election (primary) based on the principle and agreement with all Southern governors and leaders of the South that Presidency should go to the South this period.
“We have done our part. We never betrayed anybody because it is not in our blood to betray. But it is a shame to those people, some of the governors from the South; they are the people that were used to sabotage our course.”
Wike said it was disheartening that some governors from the South, due to their inordinate ambition, could jettison the collective interest of the people they claim to represent.
“Look at a region ganged up, then you, your own region cannot gang up. You became tools to be used against the interest of your people, and you think you have won, you have lost. You will continue to be perpetual slaves. Rivers people, you don’t need to bother yourselves. PDP needs us. If they say they don’t need us, they should wait.”
The governor explained that he was propelled into the race to offer service and advance the interest of Nigeria.
He noted that in the process, he was confronted by a few individualswho wanted somebody they could control, and he declined to be such puppet.
“The winner (of the ticket) also saw it. They underrated us, but now, they will not underrate us again. We have all it takes to do whatever we want to do. It is a matter of you being firm; it is a matter of you being hopeful. There is nobody that is born greater than us in this country; therefore, we cannot answer second class citizen. We can’t.
“We just used this one to tell them that enough is enough. We made them not to sleep. We made them not to eat. We made all of them from wherever they said they come from to know that there is somebody who can take them on.
This country does not belong to one particular zone. If people are afraid of talking, it is their business. I cannot be a second class citizen in my country.”
“Some of them, their in-laws are governors in the ruling party, but they want to interfere in what happens in PDP. Some of them, their brothers are governors in the ruling party, and they want to interfere in PDP”.
Wike said with the presidential primary over, and given his pledge to work for whoever emerged, Rivers State would work to deliver PDP and all its candidates in the 2023 general election.
The governor recalled that in 2019, despite failure of the candidate he supported to clinch the ticket, Rivers State gave PDP massive votes, and refused to negotiate with the All Progressives Congress (PDP) to give them 25per cent votes.
“In 2019, I was the only governor from the South-South who never negotiated with the present government. They came; I said no, I was not going to be party to that. That is why APC never had 25percent in this state (Rivers). But, all the other states in the South-South, the president got 35percent to 40percent. I said I was not going to sit down with them and negotiate.”
Wike said he has even told the winner of the PDP presidential primary, AlhajiAtikuAbubakar, that most of those hanging around him do not have electoral value.
He pointed out that it would be imperative on such people from states, whether in the North or South, to deliver the kind of votes that Rivers State would deliver in the 2023 general election in order for PDP to win the presidency.
Wike said it was wrong for the party to have allowed the Governor of Sokoto State, Hon AminuTambuwal, to speak for a second time after the time allotted to each of the aspirants to address the delegates.
In his remarks, Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly,Rt Hon Ikuinyi-OwajiIbani, described the governor as an emancipator, who has solved a particular nagging problem in Nigeria: the issue of minority question.
In his remarks, Chairman, PDP Rivers State, Amb Desmond Akawor, commended Wike for his resilience, adding that the state and the entire Niger Delta were happy that he spoke for them.
Speaking on behalf of Rivers elders, former president, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), OnuezeOkocha (SAN), observed that Wike contested the PDP presidential primary because he was motivated by his desire to serve the country and bring back PDP to governance in Nigeria.
“You have done us proud. You have done Rivers State proud. You have done the country, the teeming masses of those who are yearning for capable leadership, you have done them proud. And they will continue to believe in you, they will continue to place their hope in you.”
Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike, while speaking on behalf of Rivers’ youths, said Wike has demonstrated that Rivers State, and indeed, the Niger Delta cannot be underrated in the political equation of Nigeria.
“A Rivers man has dared and shook the foundation of Nigeria. Dike Oha (Ikwerre), you have given them restless night. You have made them change their political equation night upon night. You have made them in Abuja and the entire northern, southern, and western, all part of Nigeria realise that a leader has emerged from Rivers State, and a leader has emerged from Niger Delta.”
The Chairman of Port Harcourt City Council, Hon. AllwellIhunda and Dr. Juliet Berewari, who spoke on behalf of all the council chairmen and women, respectively, said Wike has shown capacity despite the conspiracy against him.
Elsewhere, the Senate Chief Whip, Orji UzorKalu said that Governor NyesomWike remains “Winner of the game” in last Saturday’s Peoples Democratic Party Presidential primary for defying all odds to come second.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, posted on his Facebook Page that though he was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but added that Wike deserved accolades.
He praised the performance, courage and tenacity of the Rivers State governor to challenge the status quo, saying that the result he got was a testimony to what could happen if the South was united in the quest to wrest power from the North.
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.