Why N’Delta Needs US Visa Office – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has reiterated his call for the establishment of a United States visa office in Port Harcourt, the headquarters of the Niger Delta as a way of ensuring equity and fairness to the people of the area.
He made the plea when he received United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. William Stuart Symington, in Government House, last Wednesday, in Port Harcourt.
Wike, who revealed that he had received not less than 200 phone calls from the people after he made a case for a US visa office earlier, maintained that it would save the citizens the hassle of travelling to Abuja and Lagos to obtain a visa.
Besides that, he pleaded on the US envoy to consider establishing a visa office as a way balancing the equation lamenting that the people of the region where the resource is produced still suffer neglect and poverty.
The governor also declared that the state supports a united country but with true practice of federalism to give room for equity and justice.
“We believe in justice and equity. Establishment of visa office is very key. We have an airport and international oil companies operating here, so, you need to have a serious thought. We are willing to provide an office so as to tell you how important it’s to us in the Niger Delta”, Wike stressed.
By establishing a visa office, he stated that it would encourage investment and partnership, as he called for US support in developing the state’s fledgling tourism and agric sectors.
The governor assured the ambassador of the state government’s continuous protection of its assets, stating that Rivers State, among the Niger Delta states, have remained peaceful with no reports of pipeline vandalisation or sabotage even during the recent militancy threats.
In his remarks, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, William Stuart Symington, thanked the governor and people of Rivers State for their hospitality, and described the rich cultural heritage of the people as a resource to be harnessed as a means of boosting its diversity and creativity.
Symington commended Wike for his vision and numerous projects, which according to him, “are remarkable”, and prayed for the peace and progress of the state.