Wike’s 100 Days Exams …Tackling Arm-Chair Critics

Criticism in is objective form, is a necessary fire and potent weapon that enhances positive change and puts governments and elected representatives of the people on their toes. It is indeed rooted in one of the key determinants of true democracy, which in its simplest meaning, is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
A democratic bond simply means that citizenry choose willingly to donate part of their natural rights and powers to an elected representative or government to decide certain issues on their behalf. That means, public servants must, at all times, consider the needs, hopes and fears of the citizenry, because the surrender of power is not total or permanent, but temporary.
It is also to ensure that those in power do only those things that positively affect the well-being of the citizenry and indeed put such needs first that the Nigerian constitution empowers the press to, at all times, endeavour to hold public officials to account. That too, is mainly to remind such public servants that the power they enjoy is temporary and can be withdrawn as easily as it was earned.
Surely, the most effective tool for ensuring such constant reminder, is objective criticism which not merely criticises for criticism sake but indeed also offers alternatives to the policy or programme or solution to problems being criticised. Criticism that sees nothing ever good in the criticized, is indeed a vain one and very often actuated by malice. It is more destructive than the corruption of an elected representative.
For instance, in the months leading to the last general elections, such was the nature of criticism Nigerians found in the political class. Virtually every issue was politicized, no matter how important it was to national security and the peoples’ well-being. In fact, the opposition saw nothing good in everything government did or service rendered, without necessarily offering any viable alternative.
With the elections contested and won one would have expected that winners and losers would have by now, struck a common chord in the interest of the nation and indeed states. Politicians, one would have thought, would let go the results of the polls and prepare early for the next round of elections, by offering objective criticism that would offer better options to general challenges, and for the good of the people.
Instead, what has been generally observed is an avalanche of vain criticisms that are so worthless, they end-up endearing the criticized, to the people. That indeed has been the scenario around the 100 days programme of the Nyesom Wike-led Rivers administration.
In one such criticism, the spokes person of the All Progressive Congress (APC) quoting the party chairman, Ibiamu-Ikanya berated the state’s executive governor, who they often called “Caretaker Governor,” of taking credit for works virtually completed by the immediate past governor of the state, Gov. Chibuike Amaechi.
According to them, all the road projects and other accomplishments Gov. Wike has been moving around commissioning were works initiated by the Amaechi government. Another critic even said roads like the Abonnema/Obonoma Road, Iloabuchi/Eagle Island, Woji/Abuloma road and the Law Faculty building of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt among others, were all Amaechi projects and already 85 percent complete. That Wike merely completed the remaining 15 per cent to enjoy cheap popularity.
What manner of talk is that? If a government embarks on a project up to 85 percent completion, why should such be abandoned? At what point did the project lose its priority status in the estimation of the government in question?
Let’s talk of the Iloabuchi-Eagle Island project. By 85 percent complete, do the critics mean that the road had been virtually completed and merely required finishing touches? That the road was already in use by residents?
Another is the Law Faculty building. If indeed such a project was 85 percent complete as the critics want Rivers people to believe, why was it not delivered, commissioned and put to use by the Amaechi government?
In countless public events Gov Rotimi Amaechi himself repeatedly assured Rivers people, even vowed that his government would complete all projects initiated by it.
That it would not abandon any project of any kind for any government to inherit. All such projects were commissioned by the then APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
If amaechi is to be believed, it means that those other projects that Gov Wike has done, within the first 100 days were Wike’s own works, since Amaechi completed and commissioned all his works at various times as he had vowed or did he lie to the people? Hope not.
What of the 50 housing units at Iriebe? Were they also initiated by Amaechi? No. The project was started and completed within two months. That too is verifiable.
Now, let’s talk about Port Harcourt roads, which before Nyesom Wike’s inaugurals were indeed glorified death traps. The area linking Ikwerre/Abonnena Wharf roads was a disgrace. The frontage of the Silverbird galleria in Port Harcourt an eyesore. The Creek road in the old Port Harcourt city area was a death trap. So also was the Woji/Eleme road.
What would it have cost the fromer government to ensure regular road maintenance so that such roads did not end up becoming a curse to road users? If they too were initiated by the Amaechi government, why were they in the condition, Wike met them?
Without a doubt, these redemption works, have truly endeared Wike and the new government to Rivers people because they were works that positively touch them. They are indeed projects the people can see and feel. Take for example, the Abonnema/Obonoma Road complete with bridge or the precincts of the Boro Park fly-over or better still, the frontage of the Silver-Bird galleria.
What of Creek Road? Or Harold Wilson Drive in the new layout area of Port Harcourt, the only link road to parts of Borikiri and New road? The people know the difference and do not require such criticisms to make the people hate Nyesom Wike. Instead, the new governor’s popularity is growing daily.
For instance, on knowing that Gov Wike as at the precincts of the Boro Park flyover last Friday evening to inspect on-going reconstruction works there, motorists, workers and traders abandoned their businesses to catch a glimpse of the man who has truly touched their lives. Chanting ‘our governor,’ ‘Redeemer,’ ‘peoples’ governor.” The huge crowd accompanied the governor to his convoy before it drove away.
The same was true of residents of Eagle Island, Creek road and indeed Harold Wilson drive in the city, along with many others elsewhere in the state. What is good is good and bad, bad.
A question for the critics. Were the three months salary arrears paid civil servants and retirees, upon Wike’s assumption of office also funds left behind by Amaechi? Were those too also 85 percent paid before Wike paid the 15 percent difference?
What Wike has done was to verify and pursue issues of urgent public concern. The payment of arrears of workers’ salaries and retirees’ benefits, opening of the courts for anxious litigants and servants of the courts, address the issue of poor road network in spite of the rains, and give the state assembly its pride of place and independence.
Under Wike, all three arms of government, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary are functioning. All of these institutions have workers with families and who depend on their duties to survive. Some lawyers were so deprived in those dark days; they were forced to search for better deals in other states, on account of the closure of the courts. Some even died of heart failure.
Simple as these issues may appear to a vain critic, addressing them in a positive and proactive manner has indeed added to the popularity of the new governor in the eyes of the people. Wike is today adored, respected and indeed loved by beneficiaries of his redemption programs, so much so that no amount of vain criticism can change that.
This takes us to the Commission of Inquiry investigating activities of the past government. The same critics have repeatedly dismissed the probe duly endorsed by a court of competent jurisdiction, as one for shadow-chase and witch-hunt, without necessarily countering the accusations that are in the public domain.
Issues such as sale of state-owned electricity power plants and Olympia hotels and disappearance of documents covering the then Assembly’s approval of a N35 billion loan, same day, among others are indeed very serious accusations and require clear defence by the Amaechi government.
In a similar fact-finding exercise during Amaechi’s tenure, some of Gov Amaechi’s perceived enemies notably, Dr. Peter Odili and Dr. Abiye Sekibo appeared before the  panel and indeed defended themselves. Gov. Amaechi should do same and not use the non-discharge of an earlier court ruling barring anti-graft agencies from all forms of investigation of activities of the state government, as an excuse to allow his reputation to suffer such irreparable damage.
My Agony is, if it is very easy to complete projects already 85 per cent gone, within 100 days, why didn’t the critics advice Gov Amaechi to use his last 100 days to deliver such works, so he does not share the glory with any body? Or  are they oblivious of the fact that in a relay race, it is the finisher that brings victory to the quartet and not the starter?
The end justifies the means.

Soye Wilson Jamabo

Gov. Nyesom Wike