Wike’s Victory: A Verdict Of Vindication

The Scripture tells us
that when God says yes, nobody can say no and when He says no, nobody can say yes. What must be must be. The judgement of the Supreme Court which affirmed the election of Chief (Barrister) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike as governor of Rivers State clearly confirms this adage.
A seven-man panel of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mammud Muhammed had in its judgement on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 dismissed a petition filed by Rivers State All Progresives Congress (APC) candidate, Dakuku Adol Peterside at the election tribunal in Abuja and set aside the judgements of the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which nullified the election of Chief Wike as governor on April 11, 2015.
In the lead judgement read by Justice Kudarat Kekere-Ekun, the Supreme Court upheld the return or election of Chief Wike as winner.
Governor Wike as an ardent believer in the will of God has been a man of courage, a courageous fighter, full of confidence, never deterred by the antics of the opponents or oppositions and had trusted always in God since assumption of office on May 29, 2015. He had always believed that God would reclaim the mandate given him by the people of Rivers  State when he was petitioned to the election Tribunal and even at the Court of Appeal that nullified his election as governor of Rivers State since it had been decreed for him to be the governor of the state.
In fact, the gods of the land of Rivers State wouldn’t have been happy if the Supreme Court did otherwise. Thank God that all those pull-him-down syndrome have finally been laid to rest by the Apex Court. Governor Wike began to display his leadership prowess and doggedness from  the days of his electionerering campaign until his swearing-in when he declared that Rivers State had been rescued and reclaimed. According to him, “it is a new day in our history, a new dawn to repair and restore our dear state to the path of sanity. I invite you all to the table of brotherhood for the new beginning.”
He  reiterated his declaration that in the election,” there were no losers and winners, rather, Rivers State was the winner and so we are all winners.” During the campaigns, Wike and his team visited several communities in all the local government areas of the state where they met with thousands of people including civil servants, teachers, students, doctors, lawyers, traders, market women, the business community, pensioners, the unemployed as well as non-indigenes residing in the state.
During the visit, it was noticed that so many people were worried about the pervasive poverty  in the land and the hardship they and their families were going through. Above all, people were worried about the systemic failure of governance and lack of service delivery.
Based on all the observations, Governor Wike soon after he was sworn-in swung into action. First, his administration recorded a major significant landmark by the opportunity to break the spectre of misrule by the immediate past government  under former Governor Chibuike Amaechi and won the battle for a better Rivers State. Shortly after his swearing-in on May 29, 2015, Wike flagged-off his administration’s new Rivers Vision which kick-started with the Zero Pot-holes Policy.
Straight from the Liberation Stadium where the ceremony took place, Governor Wike’s convoy moved to Azikiwe Street in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt where he flagged-off the rehabilitation of the street which has unmotorable and almost impassable for more than four years. He continued the award of contracts for the rehabilitiation and completion of bad roads and abandoned ones as well as the construction of new roads including the trans-Kalabari road currently going on.
With the meagre resources, Governor Wike  who met an empty treasury on assumption of office cleared the backlog of salary arrears owed civil servants and pensioners, including teachers. At the last count, no public institution, including the state’s House of Assembly, the state’s Judiciary, the civil service and the traditional rulers were spared from the abuse of power by the immediate past governor. On assumption of duty, Wike re-opened the shut courts and the House of Assembly and re-organised the traditional institution.
Since inception, the Wike-led administration has always ensured the regular and prompt payment of workers’ salaries and allowances.
The governor recently flagged-off the reconstruction of Igwuruta-Etche road which poor condition slowed the economic progress of the state. Anyone who knew the condition of Bishop Okoye Street, Mile 3 in the past years and seeing it now will surely appreciate the good works of Governor Wike’s administration.
Indeed, Governor Wike has demonstrated a great leadership skill in so many areas of governance within his six months of reign.
There is no doubt that now that Wike has finally crossed all the hurdles of 2015 gubernatorial election and has arrived fully at the home base of Rivers State, the state will begin to witness an explosive developmental stride at all levels.
All the distractive tendencies and negative criticisms and propaganda of the All Progressives Congress have been thrown over-board, so Wike will now settle down to continue his work of erecting land-marks of progress and prosperity in the state.
This is now the right time for total deconstruction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and restoration of the damage inflicted on the state’s common economy or wealth. Since the inception of this present administration, people in Rivers State have been shouting joy and leaping and singing hallelujah to the glory of God for their Messiah (Wike) has come.
Impunity and tyranny have also been put to rout and the vicissitudes of the old ignoble order have vanished.
Governor Wike means every word he voices to the people of Rivers State and his administration in the past six months has established a viable platform knowing that satisfying the wants of Rivers people is inevitable.
He has been able to manage the available resources of the state to give the people what they deserve and hopes to do more now that the coast is clear.
At least the state has the factors of production, raw materials, manpower and equipment for production and to achieve performance efficiency. But these factors cannot organize themselves without the cooperation of all and sundry.
Port Harcourt and parts of Rivers State were agog when the news of Wike’s victory at the Supreme Court broke out. The judgement vindicated Wike, PDP and the people of Rivers State who overwhelmingly mandated him to rule them during the April 11, 2015 gubernatorial election. Wike’s victory was already decreed by God and the people of Rivers State graciously thank Him. The present administration within the short period has impacted on the lives of both indigenes and non-indigenes in the state.
When interviewed, a petroleum product  marketer, Mr Lekwauwa Felix (JP) commended the Supreme Court seven-man panel that upheld Wike’s victory, saying that he (Wike) is the governor God has for Rivers State. According to Felix, the Supreme Court has done so much good for the people, pointing out that the judgement is a sign that Nigeria is growing as a democratic country.
Also interviewed, a transporter, Mr Amadi Vitalis who described Governor Wike as a man of the people said that his victory would reposition and bring the state to an enviable height and hailed the apex court for its uprightness in delivering the judgement which he called a landmark decision. A hair dresser and businesswoman, Mrs Victoria Okpara while reacting to the Supreme Court verdict said that the panel has rekindled the hope of Nigerians  concerning the judiciary, and also averted the violence that would have followed a re-run election in the state.
In his comment, a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Mr Cajethan Okonkwo said that Wike’s victory had brought what he described as a universal joy to the people.
Okonkwo noted that Wike’s performance during the last six to seven months in office had touched the lives of everyone in Rivers State as he did what some governments could not do in eight years, and called for more support for the government.
Brother Felix Obuah, Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party who from the on-set has been a back-up pillar and a dependable ally to Governor Wike, dedicated the Supreme Court verdict to God, saying it is a victory for Rivers People.

Shedie Okpara

Governor Nyesom Wike (right), acknowledging cheers during his vctory tour of Port Harcourt City on Friday . Photo: Ibioye Diama