Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has called on those planning to demonstrate against the presence of soot to channel their protest to the Federal Government.
He said the Federal Government is strictly responsible for the degradation and pollution of the Rivers environment.
Speaking in Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday, during the inauguration of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, Governor Wike urged the Stop- the- Soot campaigners to demonstrate against the Federal Government in the interest of justice.
He said that the Rivers State Government has done all that it is suppose to do, including advocacy and enlightenment campaigns, with no action from the Federal Government.
The governor said: “I hear that people want to demonstrate that there is soot in the state. Help us demonstrate against the Federal Government and we will all be happy.
“This is because we have no control over the sources of soot. Do I go to shutdown the Refinery? Will they not say that it is economic sabotage?
“Do I even have the security? Do I control the Police or the Army to go and stop oil production at the refinery?”
Governor Wike added that the State Government cannot stop the Nigerian Navy from destroying illegal refineries in ways that release dangerous substances to pollute the environment. He said all entreaties have fallen on deaf ears.
He said nobody is happy about the presence of soot in the state as its effect is non discriminatory.
The governor said it is necessary to properly situate those with the responsibility of stopping the soot, rather than protesting for the sake of creating social tension.
He assured the people of Rivers State that the administration will continue to prevail on the security agencies and regulatory institutions to take the right step to stop the soot.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has inaugurated the Board of Directors of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, with a charge to the members to kick-start the process of recruiting quality operatives for the agency.
Performing the inauguration, last Monday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor said there was no going back on the establishment of the agency because it was central to the security of the state.
Wike said: “Use your experiences and capabilities to ensure that the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency takes off effectively.
“Start the recruitment process of the operatives. By September, 2018, I expect that the training of operatives would have been concluded and the agency fully operational”.
He charged members of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency not to be swayed by the antics of opponents of the establishment of the agency because, according to him, their duty was vital to the stability of the state.
The governor alerted the nation that some politicians have approached the police to sabotage the scheme by rejecting operatives recruited by the agency.
He said that the State Executive Council will approach will approach the Rivers State House of Assembly for the amendment of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency law, so that the police will not be required to vet the recruited operatives as is obtainable in Lagos State.
The governor advised the Board of Directors of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency to recruit only persons that have the interest of the state at heart.
He said contrary to criticisms against the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, they are only to bear light arms subject to the approval of the police.
He said that the light arms to be borne by the agency’s operatives would be for self defence.
“The Chairman of the Board is a retired Brigadier General, while the Director General is a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police. We have appointed credible and experienced retired security chiefs because we want the best for the state.
“Now that we have prevailing peace in the state, all efforts should be geared towards sustaining it”, he said.
Responding, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, Brigadier General Dick Ironabare assured the government and people of the state that the agency would work to enhance state-wide security.
He commended the Rivers State Governor for deeming it necessary to set up the new security scheme, which is in line with international best practices of securing communities.
The chairman said that the agency would work within the ambit of the law in the discharge of her duties.
He said most of the people opposed to the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency do so because they don’t understand its relevance in modern day security framework.
Ironabare commended Wike for the support rendered to security agencies across the state as well as the promulgation of stringent laws to check kidnapping and cultism.
Those inaugurated as Board of Directors of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency include: Brigadier General Dick Ironabare as chairman, Dr Uche Mike Chukwuma as director general , and Barrister Nma Omereji as secretary/legal adviser.
Other members of the board are Chief Casca Ogosu, Mr Dennis Amachree, Prof Emenike Wami, Anthony Uzo Ozurumba and Mrs Victoria Chikeka.
In another development, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo and the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Bro Felix Obuah have hailed the State Chief Executive, Chief Nyesom Wike for winning the Zik Prize for Good Governance, and described him as a colossus and natural leader.
The duo made the commendation in separate statements in Port Harcourt, last Monday.
Banigo said in a statement in Government House, Port Harcourt, while reacting to the governor’s wining of the Zik Prize in Good Governance, that “For the governor’s detractors who felt his initial awards were a mere fluke, he has continued to demonstrate exceptional leadership capacity which has been noticed within and outside the shores of Nigeria, leaving these detractors dumb founded.”
She congratulated him for his political will and commitment to develop Rivers State, stressing that she and other members of his team are not only proud of him, but are ready to give him all the necessary support for him to continue to excel.
In his statement, Obuah said that one outstanding feature of Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic and political orientations, was the ability to identify the crown from the crowd.
He stated this on the heels of the Zik Leadership Prize for Good Governance awarded to the Governor Nyesom Wike by the Public Policy Research ad Analysis Centre (PPRAC), Lagos.
According to the state PDP boss, “It takes a visionary and courageous leader in the mould of Wike to confront the kind of developmental challenges such as he did on assumption of office and still excelled.
“The joy of it all, Bro Obuah noted, is the avalanche of honours, awards and recognitions on His Excellency by various national and international bodies in appreciation of his giant developmental strides.”
Obuah, therefore, congratulated the governor for proving to the world that in Rivers State, there were still gifted personalities and world class leaders to contrast a few self-acclaimed leaders who revel in blowing their own trumpets that can only deceive impressionable minds.
The state PDP chairman, expressed joy that Wike rather than get distracted, has continued to be spurred to do even more for the state and humanity by all the recognitions.
All that is needed now, Obuah pointed out, is for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the good works of the governor are brought to a complete and logical conclusion by rallying round him for a second term, reassuring that the whole benefit is that of the Rivers people.
Obuah strongly re-emphasized that the voice of the people, being the voice of God, Wike will successfully serve out his two terms according to the wishes and prayers of the Rivers people and no amount of conspiracy will stop him.
It would be recalled that the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), last Sunday, formally recognised the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike with the Zik Prize for Good Governance.
The PPRAC, organisers of the Zik Leadership Prize in Leadership said that Wike was honoured because of his accomplishments in projects delivery, prudent management of scarce resources, human capital development and policy implementation.
Presenting the Zik Prize for Good Governance to the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the former minister of education and Chairman of Advisory Board of PPRAC, Prof Jubril Aminu praised the governor for turning the state into a huge construction site.
He commended the Rivers State governor for his commitment to the development of the state, urging him to sustain the pace.
Speaking after receiving the Zik Prize for Good Governance, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike said the award was a call to continue to serve the state and Nigeria to the best of his ability
He said: “This is very great because this award was instituted annually to honour the first ceremonial President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
“It is an award that will spur us further to continue to work for the people. It is not an award for us to relax”.
Wike dedicated the award to the good people of Rivers State, saying that their support for his administration made it possible for him to develop the state.
The governor also thanked his wife and children for the sacrifices they make to enable him serve Rivers people.
He said that the state has entrenched good governance through the delivery of projects and programmes that improve the living condition of the people, enthroned transparency and accountability as well as worked within the ambit of the law.
“This award is to remind us that we are required to do more for the people. Zik stood for unity that is why we should work to unite the country”, he said.
This year, the Rivers State governor has won: Silverbird Man of the Year 2017, Sun Newspaper Governor of the Year 2017 and the Independent Newspaper Political Icon of the Year, 2017.
Other award recipients are: Former Osun State Governor, Bisi Akande and the Zik Prize in Political Leadership, Chief Audu Ogbeh the Zik Prize winner in Public Service.
The wife of Anambra State Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obaino, the governor of Katsina State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello-Masari, wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hajia Hadiza Abubakar Mohammed, and Adedeji Adeleke were also honoured with Zik leadership awards