Governor Wike

In the next few days,
Chief (Barrister) Nyesome Wike will be 100 days in the saddle as the governor of Rivers State. Without doubt,  history will judge  Wike as the  most outstanding  governor  of  the  first one hundred  days of this dispensation. The facts speak for themselves.
This is contrary to the predictions of his predecessor,   Mr Rotimi Amaechi  that Wike would  fail to deliver.
Hear Amaechi celebrating  the trap he set for Governor  Wike  during a thanksgiving service held by the Greater Together Campaign Organisation (GTCO), the campaign
outfit of the Rivers All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr.Dakuku Peterside:  : “ I think Nyesom Wike is coming, we are waiting. He will look for money for salary; there is none. But when he pays out salary, we will see if anyof them can do what we did in this state: whether they can build the schools, the roads, even to get a loan’’.
It was under this precarious  situation planned  and executed against  the  Rivers  people  that Governor Wike  took up the  reins of leadership.  It was a very gloomy  period.  The courts were closed,  the State Assembly  crippled,  the state bureaucracy  was  in coma, the roads were death traps and insecurity  was at the worst imaginable level. Civil servants  were owed for two months, pensioners owed for six months  and the entire Port  Harcourt  City  was a huge dump site because  Amaechi  owed refuse clearing service providers  several  months of unpaid  fees running  into billions.
Worse still, the former  Governor  did not hand over any documents and  refused to set up a transition  committee  to interface  with the then incoming  administration.
Instead,   Amaechi  turned a drummer  boy at the Eagle  Square,  Abuja on May 29.
As an apostle  of the “Talk na Do” political  philosophy, Wike  refused to be cowed by the political booby  traps set for him. He was overwhelmingly  elected because  the people believed in  his capacity  to surmount  the obstacles of treachery  and wanton theft of state resources  as exemplified  by Amaechi’s  administration.  All through  the  campaign  trail, the song was the same in all languages – “Wike na talk  na do.”
The  governor  himself  amplified it at every spot, both at the riverine  and upland  communities.  ”My word is my bond. What I say I will do, I will  do”.
With  Wike’s exemplary  administration in the last ninety-five days,  the people  have  realised  that  they were right to have embraced  the “talk na  do”, political  philosophy  over the politics of treachery  and corruption.
On his very first day in office, Governor  Wike  revived the  judiciary,  initiated operation zero pothohes  and kick-started  the  process of rebuilding the state civil service.  On June 1, he swore in the State Acting  Chief Judge  and  the State Acting  President of  the Customary  Court of Appeal.  He also proclaimed the  State House of  Assembly  at the Assembly  Complex the same day.
Governor Wike  has instituted constitutional  separation  of powers in the state with all arms of government  functioning  optimally.  Indeed, former Governor  Amaechi  had to use the State High Court  recently,  even though  he shut it down  for one year.
The  Rivers  State  House of Assembly  is now one of the most active  in  the country, passing  critical  bills and doing  legislative  business  at its complex.
Today, Rivers  State  is now a huge construction  site. The economy  is waxing stronger  and the State is working  again.
Two construction  giants,  Julius  Berger  and CCECC are handling the reconstruction  and rehabilitation  of  Port Harcourt  roads which spans two local government areas with a great percentage  of  the  state’s  population  and economic  infrastructure. The success  recorded so far is mind boggling.
Wike has redefined project execution  in Rivers State.  Even under the rains, which was the indefensible excuse of Amaechi’s government, the roads are springing  to life in areas such as Diobu,  Borokiri,  Iwofe road, GRA, Akpajo, Eliopranwo,  Tombia extension,  Eagle Island and other key communities  in the  state capital.
Several other construction  companies  are working  on  roads in different  parts of the state to open  up  the  state to the rest of the country.
Theonce deplorable Eleme-Onne  Junction  of the East West  road  leading  to  the  Onne sea port is now motorable  and work is still ongoing. Same for the  Industry/NPA  road to  the  Port in Port Harcourt City.
These interventions  to rehabilitate  two key federal  roads are in line with  his promise to  make the ports functional  for the economic  revival  of  Rivers  State.
The Abonnema -Obonoma  link road in Akuku-Toru  LGA  has been completed  while work on Andoni-Opobo  Unity road as well as the Trans-Kalabari  road is billed to commence shortly.
Through the  Greater  Port Harcourt  Development  Authority,  the governor has started the construction  of  a facility to move auto-mechanics  and spare parts  dealers  out of the city centre  to further beautify Port  Harcourt.
Governor  Wike has also  strengthened  the  security  architecture  of the state. He intervened in the equipping  of  the  police  and other security agencies,  supplying 64 security  vans with  high class  communication gadgets to  track down  criminals.
Beyond the donation of the vehicles,  Governor Wike initiated a compensation scheme where families of security agents who die in active service fighting criminals will receive N5million, while residents who supply credible information that will lead to the arrest of kidnappers,  armed robbers  and cultists will get N1million.
The  governor sent the state anti-kidnapping bill to the  State  Assembly,  which  has been  passed and assented to by him.
In the housing  sector, Governor  Wike  has completed  the  Iriebe Housing  Estate of 50 units of two and three bedroom  flats. He promised to replicate  this model across the state.
For the first time  in many years, Rivers State  hosted an international  football  match. It hosted the U23 match Olympic  Qualifier Match between  Nigeria  and Congo. It has been given  the  hosting  rights of three Super Eagles  matches beginning  with  the  match against  Tanzania.  He has cleared the backlog  of  salaries  of Sharks and Dolphin  Football  Clubs players.
Within this period too, he has commenced  the  process of rehabilitating  prominent  schools across the state. The hitherto abandoned   state of the art Law Faculty  building  at the Rivers  State  University  of  Science  and  Technology has been completed.
The  health sector  is about to receive  a revival pill. The governor  has established  the framework  for the equipping  of  major general  and zonal hospitals in the state.
Regarding  economic  development,  Governor  Wike  took the most ambitious  step. He started  the process  to end multiple  taxation  by involving  all stakeholders across  the  state.
He has in the last three months opened functional lines of engagement  with the diplomatic  community,  local and international  business  concerns. He has renewed partnerships with  Shell, NLNG,  NPA,  Indorama,  INTELS,  NNPC,  just to name a few. The governor  has already  attracted a Visa Centre of the South African  Government  and is working  out international  programmes with the British,  the Irish, the Chinese   and the  US.
Rivers  State  is now  a  hub of development  and  collaboration as institutions,  companies and entrepreneurs  are now coming  to  the  state to benefit from   expanding  business  opportunities with the multiplier effects on jobs, economy and social stability.
Governor  Wike  has, in line with  his promise  to  the people,  effectively commenced the  creation  of  a New Rivers  State.  He has given  them back their voice and ensured that  their resources  work for them.
Even his few opponents  who are presently  on self exile in Abuja have commended him on his programmed revival of decayed infrastructure  across the state.
Wike is  no doubt, a political  phenomenon.  His ‘Talk na Do ‘ brand of politics is hinged on the people and the vision to improve  their living standard.  It is anchored on protecting  them from external  resource  predators  and ensuring  that  their God-given  resources  are judiciously  deployed for all round  development. It is  about giving Rivers  State  a pride of place  in  the  comity  of  states. So far, so great.
Nwakaudu is a Special Assistant  (Media )to the Rivers State Governor.

Simeon Nwakaudu