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Rivers United For Wike And Development: It’s Wike Or Wike
An editor friend of mine called me yesterday and asked what is this “Operation Kick Out Wike” that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said he would execute between Monday and Thursday of election week? I simply told him that the financially induced activity would be of no consequence. It is an exercise in futility. A choreographed failed act of political “notice me” from a powerless war monger.
This is the last kick of a dying horse. Even a five year old knows that since 2014, Amaechi and his associates have worked day and night to kick out Wike. They have deployed all means, including shedding innocent Rivers blood, but they have failed every step of the way.
They used SARs horribly to intimidate, kill, maim and snatch results, but Rivers people stood their ground. They declared, it is Wike or Wike.
They instituted several propaganda methods, buying front pages of countless newspapers, but Rivers people declared overwhelmingly, it is Wike or Wike.
During the rerun legislative elections, about 25 seats of the Rivers State House of Assembly were up for grabs. Amaechi told the world that he would collect all the seats and impeach Governor Wike using the State House of Assembly.
The failed APC Federal Government released over 70, 000 security personnel to the Minister of Transportation. He operated like a Garrison Commander. The security forces released fighter jets, fighter helicopters, war vessels , dogs and horses for the forceful acquisition of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Before the rerun elections, the security agencies engaged on a daily show of force to intimidate the people. Rivers people watched, but they were not intimidated.
The rerun elections came. The soldiers, SARs, Air Force and other security forces attacked polling units, collation centres and arrested countles PDP leaders. As they did, more people sprang up to defend their votes and constituencies.
At the end of the day, Rivers State triumphed. The people insisted that they preferred Governor Wike and the PDP. The House of Assembly was secured by the people, in the interest of Rivers State.
Since 2015, Amaechi has made elections a profit revolving scheme. An avenue to enrich himself by tricking the Federal Government and the NDDC to release billions to him to kick out Wike. While Amaechi smiled to the bank, all the schemes met with failure. This latest scheme will fail like the others.
This latest scheme by Amaechi and his partners-in-crime is not targeted at any elections, but a scheme to instigate widespread violence to disrupt the elections.
The 58 Governorship Candidates who re-affirmed their endorsement of Governor Wike mentioned the plot by the APC and their associates to disrupt elections through violence.
They said: “We are not in support of the evil that INEC is conniving with APC to disrupt the Governorship/ State Assembly elections on March 9. The APC knowing they are not on the ballot , plan to perpetrate evil and ensure that elections don’t hold”.
If Amaechi and his treacherous associates want to test their popularity, they should meet the PDP at the polling units on Saturday March 9, 2019. Anything short of that is simply an attempt to disorganise the security framework of the state for the reasons stated above.
There are 3,215,273 registered voters in Rivers State, according to INEC. The onus is on Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, his associates in the embattled APC and any other party they have chosen to support to canvass for votes.
Governor Wike has campaigned in all the 23 Local Government Areas , selling himself and the PDP. He has met with different socio-cultural groups, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations and religious bodies. He has discussed his programmes with the non-indigenes. In all these engagements, the people have spoken with one voice that it is Wike they prefer.
In all the 4442 polling units of Rivers State, unit leaders and members of the PDP have canvassed for votes. Governor Wike has unit liaison officers across the state who have been empowered through employment to work for the development of the state. There is an interface with a sections of the state. The pulse of Wike’s government is felt at the grassroots. This has never been the case.
Governor Wike started his journey to a second term from May 29, 2015. He resumed office prepared and launched the Operation Zero Potholes in Port Harcourt minutes after his administration was inaugurated. Since then, he has delivered projects across the 23 Local Government Areas, changing the developmental narrative of the state. He has weathered the storm, defending the interests of Rivers State every step of the way. He has stood with the people and remained their voice.
For Wike, it has always been Rivers first. He has never betrayed the state. Despite the economic trap set by Amaechi who prophesied that Wike will not do projects or pay salaries because of the precarious economic conditions he left the state, Wike has made Rivers State the envy of all states.
It is not by chance that the APC or their cornered affiliates have no developmental accusations against Governor Wike. The performing Governor has silenced his critics with outstanding projects delivery, promoting selfless governance. He has made good governance a way of life in Rivers State. Seamlessly, pro-people projects are rolled out for the people.
Like it is stated in the Bible, surely the anti-Rivers agents will gather. But they will always fail because God has ordained Governor Wike to lift Rivers State from the doldrums of under-development. According to Isaiah 54:15 : “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake”.
The sponsored protests will be of no value, other than to help the embattled Minister canvass for appointments. It is nothing more than a cry of a diminished politician, craving for attention.
Like Governor Wike advised, Rivers APC and their leaders should wait for 2023. The decision for 2019 has been made. The people are with Governor Wike and they will confirm by re-electing him on March 9.
A few politicians promoting an anti-Rivers agenda will not alter the will of the people. Those who have illicit resources deployed to create crisis will not succeed because the people have their eyes on the ball. They will re-elect Governor Wike. They will defend their votes and they will defeat any manipulator who tries to rig the process.
Rivers people are United for development. No intimidation will suffice. Rivers people are United for the re-election of Governor Wike. This is about the people. Power belongs to God and God uses the people to elect leaders at every given time. As they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God. And Rivers people have declared: it’s Wike or Wike.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media.
Simeon Nwakaudu
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.
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