Nsirim’s Demise: Wike Seeks Reconciliatory Politics

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has called for reconciliatory politics that will be driven by friendship with the aim of developing the country.
The governor said that friendship in politics, irrespective  of  political  party affiliation would help to grow the nation’s democracy  and engender development.
Speaking  in Port Harcourt on Wednesday during a lecture/symposium in honour of Late Hon. Ovunda Nsirim, Wike said friendship and reconciliation  in politics would help to reduce political tension in the state.
He noted that the late Ovunda Nsirim, in his practice of politics, entrenched the tenets of mentorship, friendship and reconciliation within the political framework.
According to him, politically, the late Nsirim, a former member of the House of Representatives, accommodated all political interest groups by relating with everyone.
He said: “For me, I don’t know of any politician in Rivers State who will say that he did not benefit from the Late Hon. Ovunda Nsirim, one way or the other.
“As a person,  he was my brother and political mentor. Ovunda was a bundle of talent. Politically,  he was a strategist. I learnt a lot from him”.
The governor  said the passage of late Ovunda Nsirim was unfortunate, pointing  out  that his death at this time was shocking.
He said : “Ovunda Nsirim was not just an Ikwerre man. He was a complete Rivers man. I have lost a brother, I have lost a mentor “.

In his remarks, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Okey Wali (SAN) noted that the late Ovunda Nsirim stood for mentorship in life and the political  space.
Chairman of the occasion, Senator Ben Birabi, said that the late Ovunda Nsirim was a politician with an ideology, and called for the reinvention of mentorship in the state.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Sam Egwu, in his paper titled: “Political  Mentorship and the Leadership Question in Nigeria”, said: “There must be recognition that building the future requires a conscious investment in the development of the human resource and capacity of the society,  which constitutes the driving force of development “.
Egwu added: “There is an urgent need to transform our politics by building strong democratic institutions that will enable citizens and society to account and to foster a sense of service”.
The lecture/symposium in honour of late Ovunda Nsirim was attended  by  his political friends from all the political divides.