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My Grouse With Northern PDP Presidential Aspirants -Wike …Recalls Assassination Attempt On Him, Slams Buhari
Rivers State Governor and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nyesom Wike, has explained his grouse with former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, and other presidential aspirants from the North over zoning of the presidency to the South ahead of the 2023 general election.
Wike said he had always supported presidential aspirants from the North, wondering why those he supported in the 2019 elections were now aspiring to be president in 2023.
He stated this while appearing on a Channels Television current affairs programme, ‘Politics Today’, monitored in Port Harcourt, last Monday.
Wike said that he had supported Tambuwal to become Speaker of the House of Representatives and Saraki to become Senate President against all odds.
The governor also noted that only Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, from the North had personally expressed his support for his presidential bid.
When asked about his relationship with Saraki, Tambuwal and other governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike stated that the problem he had with Nigerians was that “people don’t want to tell the truth, and I feel so bad.”
Wike said, “There is nobody today contesting for president of this country from the North that I did not have a relationship with or that I did not support. There are nine of them who have not come to me to say, ‘Wike, with you, I think I will have my way.’ And I always told them, ‘I agree, but what is on the ground; what is on the table?’
“If you ask most of my friends, the problem I have with friendship is that if we agree on something, let’s keep to it. If there is any reason why that shouldn’t be done, I should be notified.”
He added, “I will tell you one. Sadly, it is with one very intelligent young man Nigerians listen to – Bukola Saraki, with all due respect. I was one of those who made sure he became a Senate President. He was in APC. I tweeted and spoke about his intelligence. Whether you hate him or you don’t like him, this young man is intelligent. Why would you not allow such a person to be at the helms of affairs? I never hid my feelings.
“My brother and friend, Tambuwal, when he wanted to be Speaker, the government and the PDP didn’t want him to be the Speaker. I was one of those who said no, we shouldn’t do that. I came out, and said, he should be Speaker. Even when he wanted to be president, I was one of those who said he was a vibrant young man, and it didn’t matter; that we should not do it by age. People were fighting me all over…in the South, in the West, in the North, in the East. They all fought me. ‘Why are you bringing Tambuwal?’ I said it was not about me bringing Tambuwal. I said I had found somebody that I thought had all it takes to lead.”
Wike stated that he had no apology to anybody for previously supporting Tambuwal and Saraki.
The governor stressed that he did not support the presidential bid of a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, adding that when Tambuwal lost to Abubakar at the primary in Port Harcourt, he gave all his support to the ex-VP.
Wike said, “I want to challenge anybody, any governor, any person in this party who would say they gave Atiku the support I gave. In fact, I can tell you that in the South-South, it was only in my state that APC never got 25per cent (votes). Atiku knows that I came all out and supported him”.
According to Wike, there was a gentleman’s agreement that power should remain in the North while it is shifted to the South in 2023.
“If there are factors that have come up, you can say, ‘look, gentleman, my brother, I think what is now is not what was available then.’ And then, we can sit down and talk about it. So, what I do not like…I feel bad when people say, ‘oh, it is not right for a Wike.’ No group can win an election without the other group. No northerner can win without the southerners.’
Recalling earlier attempt on his life, Wike said that he was nearly assassinated while working as the Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Chibuike Amaechi, in 2007.
The governor, who is aspiring for the office of the President under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also slammed President Muhammadu Buhari and those that brought him to power in 2015, describing the current system as a failure.
Wike suggested that Buhari’s alleged failure was because people came together and gave him power even when he was not ready to serve the country, insisting that it was wrong for people to get power, especially when it comes to presidential power, on a platter of gold.
“If you remember, when I was the Chief of Staff, on December3, 2007, I was nearly assassinated. I was nearly assassinated on December 3, 2007, if I can remember vividly”, Wike said.
“Even at that point, I was a threat unknown to me … I’ve never one day said I want it on a platter of gold, never! In fact, when you give people things on a platter of gold, it doesn’t work well.
“Power is not given. Nobody is going to give you presidential power on a platter of gold.
“Take for example, President Buhari, people were saying, ‘give it to him, give it to him, he’s the messiah,’ now look at what has happened….
“That period they came to deceive Nigerians that ‘this is the only man who can solve the problems, this is the only man who has the key to Nigeria becoming one of the greatest countries’, and Nigerians were deceived and we all bought it. Now, look at where we are today. They told Nigerians ‘if you don’t elect General Buhari, there’ll be no Nigeria again…”
On the questions from certain quarters about his certificates, Wike said that he has never had issues with his academic certificates.
Wike also said that he attended the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State and the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University, and can mention his seat-mates while in those schools.
Hemade it clear that he attended Government Secondary School, Eneka in Obio/Akpor, before proceeding to the University of Port Harcourt where he studied Political Science, and later went to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) and studied law.
He obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from RSUST before proceeding to Law School in 1997.
Wike holds a Master of Arts degree in Political and Administrative Studies also from RSUST.
The former minister of state for education and later minister of education,said “As I speak to you now, I can tell you who was my seat-mate from year one, year two, year three, year four in the University of Port Harcourt, and who was my seat-mate in the Rivers State University.
“I’ve never had any controversy concerning my certificates. The schools I attended, nobody can say, ‘let’s go and ask’.
“And as I came for my youth service, I served in the former Gongola State …So, I can tell you who my colleagues were as youth corps members,” he added.
On his position on the agitation for Biafra by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Wike said he supports the agitation by IPOBbut added that he frowns against the group’s violent approach.
Wike recalled that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, once sang his praises.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to listen and discuss with IPOB over their agitation.
According to the presidential aspirant, “IPOB is not a threat to me, it’s because of the division in the country that we have the kind of agitation we have today.
“There was a time IPOB was singing praises of Wike, Nnamdi Kanu was singing praises about Wike that he is our son.
“There is nothing wrong in people agitating but all the Federal Government should do is listen to their agitations, talk with them; there is nothing wrong about that.
“My problem came when they came to my state and burnt infrastructure like the courts, police stations, and I told them not to do that.
“Whether anybody likes it or not, I support the agitation, I support that we should sit down and discuss the marginalization of the South-East.
“I’m a governor and I asked them, do you need to kill people in my area, destroy infrastructures put in place for you to know I’m with you? I said no; I won’t do that.”
By: Nelson Chukwudi
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.