• Rivers elders score gov high
Fred Itua, Abuja; Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he is motivated to reel out projects and welfare programmes by the unconditional love of Rivers people.
The governor told journalists yesterday that the trust of Rivers people is a privilege that he will never betray.
Wike spoke after inspecting ongoing reconstruction of tourist beach, the Cultural Centre, Captain Amangala Street, Produce House and Bonny/Bille/Nembe Jetty.
He said: “When the people have confidence in you, when the people have given you their mandate, it is a rare privilege. The love of the people who gave me their mandate is enough motivation for me to work hard.
“I believe that it is a privilege my people have given me the opportunity to contribute to the rapid development of the state.
“I have the passion and love for my people. That is why we are doing what we are doing. I will give everything to Rivers State, because the state has given me what I need in life.”
The governor stated that he is a complete Rivers man with no lineage outside the state, hence he is under obligation to make the state great.
He said: “If you check, everything in me is Rivers. My wife is Rivers, my father is Rivers, my mother is Rivers and my grand parents are Rivers. Therefore, I have no place other than Rivers state. If I don’t contribute to make the state beautiful, who’s going to do it?”
Meanwhile, a forum of state Elder Statesmen, headed by former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, yesterday, hailed Wike over the infrastructure development since he assumed office in 2015.
They also urged political leaders in the state to eschew bitterness and be their brother’s keeper. While commending The Sun for conferring on Wike, for the second time, Governor of the Year Award of the newspaper, they urged political leaders in Rivers State and South South to stop denigrating and running each other down as such negative tendencies are affecting the development of the Niger Delta region.
The Elder Statemen urged Wike to see the award as an encouragement to do more for the people of Rivers, irrespective of whether they are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The leaders maintained that this was the season for governance and that when the season for politicking comes, the various parties will present their candidates and the electorate will decide.
In another development, about 1,000 All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters, in Eleme Local Government Area of of Rivers State, yesterday, decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The APC supporters under the name, One Million Project, defected through a pro-PDP group, Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI).
GDI said the decision to join the PDP was due to the crisis rocking the state APC and the developmental programmes of Wike for the State.