Issues
Wike Vanguard For Democracy And Development
Rivers people should be glad and grateful to God for giving us a man like Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike as Governor of Rivers State in 2015.
Governor Wike has made us proud. He has kept Rivers State and PDP alive, intact and moving. Before his election and inauguration as Governor in 2015, the state was battered and in comatose. Rivers State was looted and dichotomized. Government House was vandalized, our valued and strategic assets sold and some destroyed illegally by the APC government.
Today, Governor Wike has restored the state’s past glory and has taken it to greater heights. He also redeemed the PDP from APC’s destructive and manipulative hand where it used Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his cohorts as instrument for its destruction.
Wike opened our court that was under lock and key for over one year and subsequently appointed the Chief Judge of the State in the person of Justice Daisy Okocha, now retired. There was contention and disputation between the National Judicial Council, NJC and Hon Chibuike Amaechi over who became the Chief Judge of Rivers State. Whereas NJC had recommended Justice Okocha as the next Chief Judge of the State, Amaechi had his eyes on Justice Peter Agumagu who was already the President of the Rivers State Customary Court as his choice. The ensuring crisis eventually led to hte closure of count in the state. Lawyers and litigants suffered untold hardship for that period. Criminals walked freely on the streets of Port Harcourt unmolested. It was a horrible year.
Also Wike returned the Rivers State House of Assembly that abnormally operated in the Government House, Port Harcourt, to its building at Moscow Road, Port Harcourt. The seventh State Assembly was under the control of the executive arm; operating right inside Amaechi’s abode and doing his biding. It was clear that under Amaechi’s administration these two important arms of government; the judiciary and the legislature, were operating haphazardly.
He completed all APC abandoned projects in the city and embarked on massive projects, particularly road construction and maintenance. He filled all potholes on the roads and streets of Port Harcourt, especially those around Diobu axis. He evacuated waste dumps littered on the streets of Port Harcourt and paid its contractors billions of naira. Salaries owed the state civil servants and pensioners for months were cleared.
Wike reinstated some sacked lecturers of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University and paid their accumulated salaries and entitlements. He also settled our stranded students abroad as a result of non-payment of their school fees and other entitlements by the past administration.
On March 3rd, 2016, Governor Wike performed the ground breaking ceremony of the foundation-laying stone of Rumuowoji Market, commonly known as “mile one market” Port Harcourt. The market was burnt down over ten years ago, and the APC government ignored it. The market is now undergoing construction and is nearing completion. In fact, the Governor said that the market would be commissioned in December this year. At the moment. construction revolution is going on in all parts of the state, especially in Port Harcourt metropolis. This year alone thirty-one projects were commissioned and seven new projects flagged off to mark his three years in office.
Governor Wike is building new projects and rehabilitating dilapidated buildings in Port Harcourt, such as Produce House, now known as Chief Emmanuel Wonukwuru Aguma House at Moscow Road, Waterline House, now known as Chief P. G. Warmate House at Aba Road and several uncompleted buildings at the Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt. The Produce House, for instance, was an eyesore for years. The building was in dilapidation, negligence and dereliction for decades. Today, the building is one of the wonders of Wike’s three years in governance.
The past APC administration derived pleasure in destroying our important and strategic assets such as the Dr Obi Wali Integrated Cultural Centre, Olympia Hotel, Government Secondary School, Emohua, among others. So much was paid to the companies that pull them down and cleared the debris. Does the destruction of those assets and waste of state funds make any sense?
Also abandoned was the monorail project which gulped over N40 billion naira, model schools and health centres littered in various communities in Rivers State are sign-post or evidence of APC’s failure or poor governance, waste of Rivers State funds and total maladministration. Worse still, APC’s account of stewardship for seven years and seven months of leadership of Rivers State was not rendered to Rivers people nor a handover note given to Governor Wike to guide him in the administration of the State. The refusal of that administration to render account of stewardship for the state it ruled for such a number of years was a slight to Rivers people.
In spite of these impediment, Governor Wike is moving on and has performed wonderfully well in his three years in power. He absolutely deserves our support for a second term.
Wike also contributed in no small measure to the revival and sustenance of demoracy in Nigeria by retrieving the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the father of all the political parties in Nigeria, from Modu Sheriff and his cohorts through the judicial process. And by that unique action freed Nigerians from one party system under the All progressives Congress (APC). He played a pivotal role in setting our hard-earned democracy free from APC’s strangulation and emasculation in their alliance with Senator Sheriff. In Fact, PDP under Sheriff was an extension of APC.
Barrister Wike also rebuilt the battered PDP in Rivers State and contested on its platform and won the governorship election in 2015. His construction revolution and giant strides in the development of Rivers State and Nigeria as a Minister of State for Education, where he built over 100 schools across Northern Nigeria for the vulnerable children in the North called Almajiri, earned him honours and accolades in Nigeria, including the United Nations.
Indeed, the Rivers State governor is a vanguard for democracy and development in Nigeria. He is also the foremost Nigerian political strategist and tactician. He is a navigator, pilot and a messenger of our democracy. As Nigerian democracy forerunner, Wike has cried out and sent out a number of save our democracy messages across the world on the destructive state of our democracy by the APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The messages include the manipulation and rigging of the governorship elections in Edo and Ekiti States. The initimidation and harassment of members of the opposition parties, especially the PDP. Persecution of perceived political opponents and enemies, and intolerance of opposing views and expressions.
The lopsided anti-corruption war against PDP members and intimidation of judges. The constitutional breach and disobedience of court orders and rule of law.
Others are the wanton killing of Innocent Nigerians by herdsmen without arrest and prosecution of the murderers. The harassment of Rivers State and its people by security agencies in the recent past. The satanic plan to “push out” and not to vote out the present government of Rivers State in 2019 general elections etc. These were the PDP and Govenror Wike’s messages to the world on how the APC is undermining and working to destroy our democracy.
In fact, the recent mass defection of APC members in the National Assembly to PDP is tantamount to passing a vote of no confidence on Buhari’s inept administration and the leadership of APC. It is clear indication of a big crack in the ruling party.
The massive defection of APC members to PDP is an acceptance of the party as the biggest political party in Africa and the most organized political party in Nigeria. All these were as a result of Wike’s crusade for a better democracy in the country. Governor Wike has been unindicated at last.
Ogbuehi is a public affairs analyst.
Prince Ogbuehi
This is an open letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Your Excellency,
Sir, ordinarily, I would not be writing an open letter to you, but like a wise man once said, “Silence would be Treason.” So I prefer to stay alive than face the consequences of silence in the face of crime. With each passing day, and as the socio-political tides continue to turn, it has become more pertinent that more people speak up in a concerted MANNER to prevent the death of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as we appear to be, in the words of W. B. Yeats, “turning and turning in the widening gyre” heading for an end where the falcon will no longer hear the falconer
It is unfortunate that since losing control of the Federal Government, with the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan at the poll in 2015, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has continued on a downward spiral. It is much more painful, that where it is expected that leaders within the party should rise to the challenge and put an end to this decline of our great party, some have instead taken up roles as its undertaker.
It will be hypocritical to claim aloofness to what I believe is your grouse with the PDP and I am not a hypocrite. It will be uncharitable on my part to discountenance the role you have played in strengthening the PDP from 2015 up until the last Presidential primaries of the party. It is my belief that your grouse against certain members of the party who you perceived worked against the party and abandoned it in 2015 and then came around much later to take control of the party, is justified. Also know that your decision to remain in the Party and stifle its progress on the other hand, as a sort of payback, stands condemned. For a man of your pedigree and stature, it is a dishonorable act, highly dishonorable and stands as testimony against all you claim to stand for.
At least, it can be argued that those who you hold this grudge against, abandoned the party completely and did not sit back while actively working to destroy it from within. But what then can be the argument on your own part, seeing that those you are currently working with against your party are the same people who set in motion, and executed surgically, the plans that not only ended our Party’s leadership at the centre, but ended up dislodging the first Niger Deltan to occupy Aso Rock as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Is this not akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face?” That will be worse than folly. Let us not throw away the baby with the bath water because we do not like the soap used in bathing the baby. It will be a grave mistake.
Honourable Minister, sir, it is rather unfortunate that of all people, you have also decided to play the role of an undertaker not only for our party, but for our dear Rivers State.
I will like to take you down memory lane a little. Let me remind you of your emergence as Guber candidate of the PDP in Rivers State, against all fairness and justice in 2014. You will remember that despite the reality being that you as an Ikwerre man was poised to replace a fellow Ikwerre man in Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in our multiethnic state, Rivers people overwhelmingly stood by you and pushed for your emergence as Executive Governor of Rivers State in 2015. I dare say that your popularity in the entire Niger Delta region was at an all-time high at this point.
I want you to understand why you were loved across board leading to your eventual emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015; it was because when it looked like all were against the second term ambitions of the first Niger Delta man to emerge as President of Nigeria, you became not just a pillar but a beacon of resistance by standing for Goodluck Jonathan. Rivers people, as grateful and rewarding as they can be, paid you back by ensuring your electoral victory against the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) led by your predecessor. On your emergence, where there were second term Governors in the region, you, a first term Governor, was seen by the people as not just the leader of the PDP, but the leader of the entire Niger Delta region. You earned it, and no one could dispute it.
In 2019, when your re-election bid was being challenged ferociously, Rivers people once again stood solidly behind you. Many were killed in the process of defending your votes. Do you remember Dr. Ferry Gberegbe that was shot and killed while trying to protect your votes in Khana Local Government Area? There are many more unnamed and unrecognised sons and daughters of Rivers State who sacrificed their lives so that you could emerge as a second term Governor of Rivers State.
In 2022/23, Honourable Minister, you oversaw a party primary across board that saw some candidates imprisoned and internal party democracy jettisoned for your wishes, leading to the emergence of flag bearers of our party all singlehandedly picked by you. You have on more than one occasion publicly stated that you paid for all their forms. Even those shortchanged in this process licked their wounds and continued to play their roles as party members to ensure the success of the party at all levels. In what will go down as one of the most keenly contested elections in recent Rivers history, with formidable candidates like Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the vibrant youth driven Labour Party (LP), PDP emerged victorious across board except for Phalga Constituency 1 that was lost to the Labour Party. (Not that you did not loose in some other LGA’s but let’s stick to the official figures declared by INEC).
It begs the question, why then do you want to burn down Rivers State, when everyone who now holds political office emerged through a process designed and endorsed by you? Is it that you do not care about Rivers people and you are all about yourself? If so, I am forced to believe that those around you are not telling you the truth. The truth being that in a state where your words were law; where houses and businesses could be demolished or closed down without any recourse to legalities, where Executive Orders could be deployed to stifle the opposition, that your popularity is now at an all-time low. Probably because they are afraid of you, or of losing the benefits they gain from you, they fail to tell you that what you might perceive as a battle against your successor, has slowly but gradually degenerating into a battle against Rivers State and Rivers people. You know, there is a popular saying that, a man can cook for the community and the community will finish the food, but when a community decides to cook for one man, the reverse is the case.
LEAVE FUBARA ALONE
You have gone on and on about being betrayed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. You point fingers forgetting that some of those same fingers quick to spot betrayals point straight back at you. It is not Governor Fubara that has betrayed the PDP by working against it in the just concluded General Election, and working with the opposition at the State and Federal level to destabilise the party. It is you, Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that betrayed Rivers people by instigating a political crisis with propensity to escalate ethnic tensions in Rivers State. It is you Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that has declared himself God over all in Rivers State and has no qualms with burning the state to the ground to prove a point. It is you Honourable Minister. It is you Honourable Minister who told the world that the APC was a cancer and you can never support a cancerous party. It is you Honourable Minister who ended up facilitating the emergence of the same “cancerous” APC that has accelerated the economic decline of this country and further impoverished our people with no remorse. All so you can be a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory? The lack of self awareness is gobsmacking.
Some days back I came across a video where you talked about death and how you do not cry when you hear about the death of some people because you have no idea what might have caused it considering many a politician swear “over dead bodies” and still go back on their words. Those words made me think, and I could see the reason behind them. You see, in chosing to be God in the affairs of Rivers people, you have closed your eyes and ears to reason; you see nothing and hear nothing that can cause you to rethink on the path you have chosen. In your quest to “show Fubara” you have unwittingly united a vast majority of Rivers people behind him, so much that even those who despised him because of you, now like or love him, because of you too. In your scheming, I will advise you not to forget that “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.
Note that the war which you have or are waging against Governor Fubara, has gone beyond being merely political as you might see in your minds eye. It is now one that, fortunately for some and unfortunately for others, has evolved into a war against Rivers people. It is good to point out that no one has taken a stand against Rivers people and won. No one has gone against God and won. In your defiant characteristic manner, it will be unfortunate if you believe your own hubris and that of those around you on the possibility of you being the first to successfully go against Rivers people. It will be a needless gamble; one where if you win you create more enemies for yourself than you can withstand on your political journey, and if you lose, your legacy becomes an inglorious and irredeemable one in Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and Nigeria at large. For your sake as regards posterity, it is my greatest wish that you have a moment of sobriety and a deep reflection and introspection on this path you have chosen.
Honourable Minister, sir, what is left of your legacy is on the brink of being completely desecrated and relegated to the dustbin of our political history, and it will be a sad end to what I will say has been a wonderful political career that many can only dream of. The ball is in your court, and may God Almighty have mercy on us all and forgive us for our shortcomings.
Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson
Dr Pidomson is former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and former member, Rivers State House of Assembly.
In 2015, I made a conscious decision to invest my financial resources, my time, and energy into supporting Nyesom Wike’s gubernatorial campaign. I poured my heart and soul into ensuring Nyesom Wike emerged victorious even at the risk of my personal safety.
Again in 2019, I doubled down on my commitment. I invested a significant amount of money to procure campaign outfits for all twenty-three Local Governments Areas of Rivers State. I spared no expense in supplementing Wike’s election efforts in my own local government, and once again putting myself at great risk to safeguard the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
However, despite my unwavering loyalty and sacrifices, I found myself abandoned and forgotten by Wike. Throughout his eight-year tenure, he failed to acknowledge my contributions or fulfill his promises and agreements. Even as a former Deputy Governor, Wike denied me my severance benefit.
My investment in Wike’s governorship was not just financial – it was a commitment of passion, dedication, and belief in a better future for Rivers State. Yet, his leadership style of dishonesty, greed, drunkenness and rash abuse of senior citizens brought me nothing but disappointment, misery and losses.
By the grace of God, today I speak not as a victim, but as a hero. I have accepted my losses, and I have moved on. And as I reflect on my experience, I cannot help but urge Wike to do the same and allow peace and development to reign in Rivers State.
Nyesom Wike, when you speak of investing in Governor Sim Fubara’s election, remember those like me who also invested in you. Remember the sacrifices I made, the risks I took, and the promises and agreements you left unfulfilled.
It is time for you, Wike, to let go of the past and allow Governor Sim Fubara the breathing space he needs to lead Rivers State forward. Allow him to focus on the challenges of good governance and the aspirations of the people. Spare him these unwarranted and ill-conceived political manoeuvrings founded on personal agenda and not for general good of Rivers State and her people.
I may have lost my investment on Wike, but I have not lost hope in the future of Rivers State. And together, we will continue to strive for a brighter tomorrow.
Long Live the Governor to Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara!
Long Live the Good People of Rivers State!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Engr Ikuru is former Deputy Governor of Rivers State.
Tele Ikuru
