Politics
I Didn’t Come To Witch-hunt Anybody – Wike
Government activities started on a positive note last week, as Governor Nyesom Wike mounted the saddle of leadership in Government House. He started by swearing-in the Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Daisy Okocha and her counterpart in the state Customary Court of Appeal, Christy Nwankowo.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, Barrister Wike expressed happiness that the judiciary was back, saying was has fulfilled that the people could have access to justice again.
The governor urged the two top judiciary officials in the state not to victimize anybody in view of the role they played in the judiciary impasse. Wike, however, flayed the state judiciary service commission for not living up to their responsibilities while the crisis lasted.
On her part, Acting Chief Judge, Justice Okocha, commended the state governor for restoring the hope of the judiciary. Justice Okocha promised to institute novelty in justice delivery and restore the image of the judiciary.
Later on, the governor attended a one-day retreal of National Assembly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held at the Presidential Hotel. Speaking in one of the sessions, Governor Wike called for the overhaul of the party media strategy new that it is playing the opposition.
Also on the same day, Wike inaugurated the new State House of Assembly. The governor who made a brief speech at the 8th Assembly inauguration reminded the legislators of their duty as a sensitive arm of government, assuring that his administration was ready to partner with them to move the state forward.
On Tuesday, the governor played host to permanent secretaries in the state civil service while chiding some of them for being partisan during the past administration. Wike assured them that he was ready work with those who will jettison personal interest and work in line with government policies and programmes.
The governor further said, “I didn’t come to witch-hunt anybody but when I see an attempt to sabotage my administration, I will not fold my hands”.
He promised to give the permanent secretaries the necessary cooperation to enable them work effectively. He, however, asked them to go and bring the account reports in their ministries for the past 18 months, while revealing that the handover notes made available by the past administration were muddled.
On Wednesday, the governor held series of meetings with oil depot owners and refuse contractors in the State. He called on the oil depot managers and tanker drivers to evolve ways to make their activities public friendly, saying most of the oil tankers parked indiscriminately pose danger to the public.
Dialoguing with refuse contractors, the governor urged them to return to site, lamenting that the city was under serious environmental threat due to the mounting refuse heaps on the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs.
Governor Wike, as a follow-up to his meeting with depot owners and tanker drivers, visited site for the parking of trailers and tankers at Iribe, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Thursday. The site, according to him, will help decongest the city of indiscriminate parking and reduce traffic jams.
On the same Thursday, he visited the state waste management agency (sanitation authority) and later the Faculty of Law in the State University of Science and Technology.
On Friday, the governor announced three position in the new government. These include the new Chief of Staff, Engr. Emeka Woke, Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Kobani and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Taaniah and A.J. Beredugo for Research.
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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