Politics Without Bitterness: The Wike Example

There is no gainsaying the fact that since the outcome of the 2015 gubernatorial election in Rivers State, there has been no love lost between the victorious Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
While the APC and its adherents have refused to relent in their attempts to cast aspersions and rubbish all the development efforts of the PDP and the government in power, the ruling party in the State and its stalwarts have seized every opportunity to rub their victory in and maintain their stranglehold in the hearts of the people while wooing the opposition to their side.
One person who has assiduously worked to bridge the gap is the arrowhead of the PDP and the government, Governor Nyesom Wike. On Sunday, December 24, 2017, the State chief executive raised his desire for a politics without bitterness in Rivers State to another level when he personally joined the APC lawmaker representing Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency, Hon. Barry Mpigi to offer thanksgiving to God for his electoral victory.
Speaking at the occasion which took place at Kpite-Tai in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, Governor Wike challenged the political class in the State to close ranks and prize the development of the State and its people above parochial party and personal interests. “My coming here today tells you that in unity we will have development,” the governor said, adding that “it doesn’t matter the political party you belong to, you cannot see something wrong happening to y our people and keep quiet.”
To underscore the need for the political class in the state go forge a common front, Governor Wike pointed out that the Federal Government was yet to make available its share of the counterpart funding for the Bodo-Bonny Road Project even though the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) has already deposited its share of N60 billion, expressing the view that a push by politicians at all levels and across all divides was what was needed to move the hand of the central authority to do the needful.
He noted with regret that while the same Federal Government has not been able to provide its own share of N60 billion for the said project, it has awarded a contract of N154 billion for the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road only days ago. He said that this was only an example of what has been happening and will continue to happen to the State, irrespective of the State’s huge financial contribution to the federation account if politicians in the State do not refuse to be balkanized and stand together for the common interest of the people.
Exchanging views with The Tide on the development, a stalwart of the APC in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Prince Asii Dateme said even though he had his reservations on the matter as a member of the opposition party, he could not fault the general principle and desirability of the governor’s gesture.
According to Prince Dateme, Governor Wike’s demonstration of rare sportsmanship in politics was not only commendable but one that ought to be supported and encouraged among politicians in the State. He regretted the political tension generated by the frosty relationship between the two political parties and their followers, adding that the governor’s gesture was capable of dousing the tension and fostering a more conducive political atmosphere that will benefit the people of the State.
“This show of sportsmanship should have been exhibited and entrenched immediately after the elections,” he said, adding that “the governor had done the right thing” and expressed the hope that with sincerity of purpose from every side, Rivers State was bound to experience a breath of fresh air that will usher in development for the State and her people.

Opaka Dokubo