FG Has Failed To Protect Lives And Property Of Citizens -Wike

Being address presented by Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, at Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day celebration at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, on October 1, 2022.
Exerpts.

It is my pleasure and honour, once again, to join the rest of our people, both at home and in the diaspora, to celebrate the 62nd Independence Day of our beloved country, Nigeria, our own dear native land.
Today, 62 years ago, we achieved flag independence and reclaimed our dignity from the British Colonial masters to stand and live on our own and to chart a new progressive path for the collective good of our people as an independent nation.
Our founding fathers believed strongly in the promise of independence and the boundless potential of our people to build a nation that would be respected for its greatness and contributions to the advancement of the black race in particular and the world at large.
The early years of independence were indeed glorious for our nation and our people.
The founding fathers were clear in their vision and overly patriotic in their mission to build a truly federal, democratic and prosperous nation guided by a truly federal constitution, the rule of law and the timeless values of equity, justice and social solidarity.
Sadly, this great vision was short-lived and the march towards the nation’s advancement was aborted and replaced with a strange, problematic and dysfunctional federal system of governance by the illegal military adventurers.
Although we have been a constitutional democracy since 1999, deliberate constitutional distortions, institutional weaknesses and widespread corruption continue to prevent us from enjoying a robust democratic practice, including free and fair elections, the rule of law and social justice from taking root in our country.
This is not to say that Nigeria has not made any progress as a nation. Certainly, we have achieved some visible developmental strides and economic progress as Africa’s largest economy. The fact that we have remained together despite the recurrent conflicts and crisis of confidence is also worth celebrating as an achievement.
But, after 62 years, Nigeria deserves more than what it has achieved and Nigerians likewise deserve much more than what their leaders have delivered to them with the country’s enormous natural and human resources.
Over the last seven years the economic and social conditions of our country keep deteriorating under the All Progressives Congress-led government, which is totally lost in what further measures to take to free or ameliorate the predicaments they have visited on Nigerians.
Life is sacrosanct, but the present federal government has failed in the most basic duty to the nation to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
Under their watch, infrastructure across all sectors, including roads, education and healthcare has collapsed. Tertiary education has remained comatose for over seven months and with no employment opportunities, the federal government continues to toy with the future of the youths.
Healthcare delivery is a nightmare across the country with ordinary citizens unable to access necessary medical services, including basic diagnostics and medications at affordable rates in public hospitals.
Crime and physical violence are almost out of control across the country; no one and nowhere, including schools, churches and mosques is safe anymore as everyone now lives in fear, agony and lamentations.
And with compulsive corruption, insecurity, low export earnings, protracted forex crisis and an economy so close to bankruptcy the untold suffering and hopeless future among Nigerians will continue if something is not done to improve the quality of political leadership in our country.
However, let’s not forget that before the present deplorable state of affairs, we experienced significant economic growth, relative prosperity, a stable educational system and a relatively better quality of life for our people, under the Peoples Democratic Party.
This showed that Nigeria’s current economic, social and security situation can rapidly be resolved with new leadership that is courageous, decisive, purposeful and able to take the country in a new direction that would curb corruption, stop unsustainable debts, and drive economic growth to create jobs and prosperity for all citizens.
At 62, our country and our people deserve access to sustainable economic opportunities, a friendly business environment, stable and affordable energy, gainful employment, quality and affordable healthcare and education across all levels, an effective public transport system, food security and a better quality of life; not the hardship, sufferings and the hopeless future of the present.
We, therefore, need a new government that cares about the unity of the country and the wellbeing of its citizens; a government that religiously commits to changing the present circumstances of the people and making life more meaningful for everyone.
Interestingly, this is what we have been doing without holding back in the last seven years for our people here in Rivers State.
We have provided road infrastructure in quality and quantity that are unmatched by any previous government since the creation of our State.
No State government, not even the Federal Government, can boast of the simultaneous construction of 12 flyovers and other major roads across the State in three years with Julius Berger Nigeria limited as the contractor; but that is what our government has successfully executed.
The roads and bridges we have built continue to stimulate economic growth and prosperity by providing safe and seamless commuting across the State for businesses, farmers and social endeavours.
We have greatly enhanced the State’s judicial system and improved the living conditions of judicial officers serving in the State, including those serving in the Rivers State jurisdictions of federal courts to enhance the rule of law and social justice in the State.
Additionally, the tremendous support we are giving to the federal security agencies has resulted in curbing crimes and made Rivers State one of the safest States in the country to invest, live and bring up our children.
We have expanded excess to quality education, including tertiary education with the successful establishment of the medical college and the four new campuses for the Rivers State University in Emohua, Ahoada, Etche and Tai Local Government Areas of the State.
We have renovated existing hospitals, completed abandoned ones, delivered new ones, and are set to deliver the most advanced specialist hospital in entire West Africa for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases here in Port Harcourt, which we believe will help the nation to stem medical tourism and conserve foreign exchange for the country.
We have since started the payment of arrears of gratuities and death benefits to our senior citizens and legal beneficiaries and this will continue until all existing arrears of gratuities and death benefits are fully paid out.
We have also significantly advanced the economic interest of Rivers State through various fiscal and other measures, including securing important legal victories that enabled us to recover several oil wells and gas fields hitherto denied to the State by the Federal Government.
The 13% and other derivation funds from these oilfields have added appreciable resources to the State’s revenue base, which we are deploying to accelerate the development of our State.
We have also not given up in our determination to right the injustice associated with the collection and distribution of value-added taxes generated from the State by the Federal Government just as we again call on the Supreme Court to please, treat this matter with the urgency that it requires.
Finally, it is important for me to acknowledge that this is the last time I have had the privilege of addressing this august ceremony as the Governor of Rivers State.
Let me, therefore, use the opportunity to thank the good people of Rivers State and Nigerians across the country for your prayer and the support you have ceaselessly given to our government from the beginning to date.
We could not have achieved much without your support and we are happy that today, we can all stand up, and together, say with all boldness that Rivers State is the pride of the nation in good governance and delivery of development infrastructure.
We may not have achieved all that we promised, but we have delivered significant milestones on our development programmes for the next government to consolidate and expand.
But before then, be assured that we shall continue to work and deliver development projects to all parts of the State until our last day in office when our mandate would expire.
Finally, as we celebrate our 62nd Independence Day, let us all believe and continue to keep faith that we can together rescue, rebuild, and restore our nation to greatness and create the bright future we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.
I, therefore, call on all citizens to stand up and participate effectively in the 2023 general elections by voting for the right leaders with the capacity to successfully drive our collective aspirations to build a united, secure and prosperous nation.
We further call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to save our democracy by fulfilling its promise to ensure that the votes of Nigerians count.
Thank you for your kind attention as I wish all Nigerians a Happy 62nd Independence Day.
May God bless our nation, Nigeria.