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Wike: Now The Rein Is Gone…
W ith the humiliating defeat of one Elvis Chinda in his role as the arrow head of the ‘Bring Wike Down’ campaign, following the ruling last Monday by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which threw out the suit he had filed to stop Nyesom Wike from contesting the 2019 gubernatorial polls in Rivers State, the coast is now clear for a less encumbered second term run in office for the governor. The last attempt to rein him in by his detractors, has been voided. Until the Monday judgement by the apex court, the moods in the camps of the opposition and Wike’s were defined by their separate expectations. In Wike’s camp for instance, there was hardly any ruffle over the outcome as the entire matter was seen as a mere academic exercise, by a desperate team of opposition sponsored political jobbers. In contrast, however, the same opposition had placed significant premium on the outcome; believing just as a drowning soul at sea clutches a straw in the hope of survival, Wike would lose and face a sudden death for his secondterm dream.
The outcome however turned out to be an anti-climax, as the SC judgement conclusively degraded their enterprise to mere wishful thinking, thereby making them lose their deposit, as gamblers would say. All that is left now, is for Elvis Chinda and his group, to lick their wounds and look up to the future; either whining ruefully with despondency, or striving to catch some of the goodwill offered by the governor, through accepting the hand of friendship he had offered all his political opponents, during his inauguration on May 29 , 2019.
With the benefit of hindsight, it should have been clear to Elvis Chinda and his co-travelers that the subject matter of the suit they pursued with so much gusto, was a wild goose chase and mission in futility. For the purpose of clarification, this particular, ill-fated enterprise of ‘Bring Wike Down’ commenced in 2015 when the said Elvis Chinda along with other co-travellers, filed a suit in court alleging the ineligibility of Nyesom Wike to contest that year’s guber polls. Following the failure of the bid at that time, the same man relaunched his agenda in 2018 at the high court. With a fresh loss at the high court, Chinda approached the Court of Appeal which granted him a favourable order. However, following a series of incongruities with his case, the matter went to the Supreme Court where the judgement of the Appeal Court was reversed, thus, giving Wike a clean bill of eligibility, to contest and run for the elections. The rest is history as Wike had since contested, won the elections and is on a steady pace into his second term of office.
Incidentally, the manifestly invidious motive behind the just failed eligibility suit against Wike revives reminiscences of the governor’s many similarly targeted battles both in courts and elsewhere that were intended to derail him, during his first term in office. Just like the current effort at scuttling his aspiration failed, the series of obstacles and proverbial ‘banana peels’ that were laid on his path throughout much of that first term could not stop him. His victories in the two terms have not only demonstrated eloquently the secure position the governor occupies in the political terrain of the Rivers State, but signpost the hope of stability in tenure, throughout the span of the second term.
It is this expectation of stability that offers so much promise for moving the Rivers State to the next level, as driven by the governor’s vison and enterprise. He had in his first term demonstrated his capacity and dexterity at delivering democracy dividends. His second term commenced with a well laid out course of action, which captures the mindset of a leader with posterity in mind. Wike, has by past record, demonstrated that he can be trusted with the task of rebuilding the Rivers State.
Yet, just as a tree cannot make a forest, the task of rebuilding the Rivers State cannot be executed by the governor alone. Governors including Wike, are not magicians but rather serve as rallying points for their constituencies with respect to articulating a common vision for their people and supervising the deployment of the common wealth of the people for the actualisation of such vision. This is where all lovers of the River State remain duty bound to rally around him for the good of all.
The Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has assured the commitment of Rivers State government to workers’s welfare and industrial harmony in Rivers State.
The Sole Administrator gave the assurance after meeting with leadership of organized labour unions at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Ibas reaffirmed government’s policy of prompt payment of salaries and pensions to workers and retirees, stating that all local government employees are not receiving the approved minimum wage.
He disclosed that approval has been given for payment of newly employed staff at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the Judiciary, while medical workers in Local Government Areas will now receive correct wages.
Ibas explained that, Government is reviewing implementation challenges of the Contributory Pension Scheme ahead of the July 2025 deadline, adding that Intervention buses have been reintroduced to ease workers’ transportation ,with plans to expand the fleet.
He said specialized leadership training for top civil servants will commence within two weeks, while due consideration is being given to implementing the N32,000 consequential adjustment for pensioners and clearing outstanding gratuities.
Ibas commended Rivers State workers for their dedication to service and called for sustained partnership with labour unions to maintain industrial peace.
“This administration recognizes workers as critical partners in development. We remain committed to addressing your legitimate concerns within available resources,” he stated.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Alex Agwanwor, thanked the Administrator for the steps taken so far with regard to workers welfare while appreciating his disposition towards alleviating the transportation problem faced by workers.
He also expressed appreciation for the government’s openness to dialogue and pledged continued cooperation towards achieving mutual goals.
The Rivers State Government assured all workers of its unwavering commitment to their welfare and called for continued dedication to service delivery for the collective progress of our dear State.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers Council, has called for policies that will improve the economic situation of the country in order to ensure enhanced living standard for workers.
The State Chairman, Mr Alex Agwanwor, made the remark on behalf of the unions affiliated to Labour Congress during the 2025 workers day celebration in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Agwanwor highlighted the demands of the Unions which included the immediate payment of pension arrears, implementation of the N32,000 minimum wage for pensioners, and payment of gratuities and death benefits without further delay.
“We are calling for the regulation and protection of e-hailing drivers, implementation of increments and promotions, and resolution of long-standing issues in the polytechnic sector,” he said.
Agwanwor on behalf of the unions appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reinstate the democratically elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He stressed the importance of democratic governance and good working relationship with elected representatives.
According to him, the unions expressed disappointment over the imposition of taxes, increase in electricity tariff, and high cost of goods and services, which have further worsened the plight of workers.
“We urge the federal government to take measures to alleviate the suffering of citizens,” he said.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu is committed to unlocking Nigeria’s full potential and position the country as a leading force on the African continent.
Shettima stated this when he hosted a delegation from the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, led by its Senior Fellow, Dr Rolf Alter, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Wednesday.
He said Nigeria was actively seeking expertise from the global best institutions to enhance policy formulation and implementation, particularly in human capital development.
The Vice-President noted that President Tinubu was determined to elevate Nigeria to its rightful position as a leading force in Africa.
“The current crop of leadership in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready and willing to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian nation on the African continent.
” We are laying the groundwork through strategic reforms, and at the heart of it, is human capital development.”
He described the Hertie School as a valuable partner in the journey.
According to him, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, has track record and institutional knowledge to add value to our policy formulation and delivery, especially in this disruptive age.
Shettima reiterated the government’s priority on upskilling Nigerians, saying ” skills are very important, and with our Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 programme.
“We are in a position to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian people by enhancing their capital skills.”
The Vice-President acknowledged the vital support of international development partners in that effort.
” I want to thank the World Bank, the European Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and all our partners in that drive to add value to the Nigerian nation,” he maintained.
The Vice-President said human capital development was both an economic imperative and a social necessity.
Shettima assured the delegation of the government’s readiness to deepen cooperation.
” We need the skills and the capacity from your school. The world is now knowledge-driven.
“I wish to implore you to have a very warm and robust partnership with the government and people of Nigeria.”
Shettima further explained recent economic decisions of the government, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms.
“The removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the exchange rate regime and the revolution in the energy sector are all painful processes, but at the end of the day, the Nigerian people will laugh last.
“President Tinubu is a very modern leader who is willing to take far-reaching, courageous decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Earlier, Alter, congratulated the Tinubu administration for the successful launch and implementation of the Human Capital Development (HCD) strategy.
The group leader described the development as ambitious and targeted towards the improvement of the lives of the citizens.
He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his engagements since arriving in the country.
He applauded the zeal, commitment, energy and goodwill observed among stakeholders in the implementation of Nigeria’s HCD programme.
Alter said the Hertie School of Governance would work closely with authorities in Nigeria across different levels to deliver programmes specifically designed to address the unique needs of the country.
He, however, stressed the need for government officials at different levels to be agile and amenable to the dynamics of the evolving world, particularly as Nigeria attempted to successfully accelerate its human capital development aspirations.