From Chris Anucha, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has declared the state safe for investment, in particular and business, in general.
Speaking at a dinner organised to round off the West Africa Architecture Festival in the state, Wike also spoke on other things, bordering on the socio-economic and political development in the country.
He talked about the pending Rivers State rerun elections, security and the conduct of his predecessor and current Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.
Could you tell us about the West African Architecture Fair in Port Harcourt?
I sincerely thank the President of the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA) and his team. This ceremony was opened on Tuesday. I was supposed to declare it open. Unfortunately, I was away; my deputy was away. The secretary to the state government represented us. Let me also commend the NIA president. I do know the problem you had to go through. Initially, people were scared because of the negative publicity by people, who do not want the state to develop. Thank God that you were able to go through it and people can attest to the fact that it was a huge success.
I remember when the Rotary International came. Those of them from California were amazed. This is the city that they heard or had been hearing, this is happening and this is not happening. And to them, they saw it was propaganda at work. I’m sure, when our friends go back, they will tell the world that this state is indeed a peace-loving state. What you have done is not what money can buy. You can go to the pages of newspapers and say Rivers State is peaceful. But having come and stayed here and seen, you can go back to say listen, this insecurity reports are not true. I was there, I participated; so I’m tired of reading all these junks; enough is enough.
Minister of Transportation Amaechi had said there was no road to the hometown of his political mentor, Chief Godspower Ake. What would you say?
Somebody who was governor of this state for eight years went to one burial and the man who died was supposed to be close to him. And then, he came and said, look, there is no road. By 2019, vote out these people. But somebody who preached a sermon at the burial said, haba! You were here for eight years. This man was very close to you. Eight years you did not remember this man. For eight years, you did not construct a road to his hometown. Now, this is a government that has stayed one year and a few months; you are saying that there is no road.
I don’t know whether you understand the point l am making. Eight good years, and when money came to this state, not now that we are in recession, even though, it is not our portion in this state to be in recession. Amaechi squandered the money of our people, using state resources to sponsor elections in other places. Because of the funds squandered by Amaechi, we are starting the development of statewide infrastructure afresh.
For eight years, at a time that the state got approximately N20 billion monthly, that administration failed to develop critical infrastructure.
G.U. Ake was Amaechi’s political mentor. Yet for eight years, he denied his community the required access road. For us, we will continue to ensure the development of infrastructure in all communities of Rivers State, irrespective of the political leaning of the people.
What I will assure you is that by the special grace of God, if you have the opportunity to come back to Port Harcourt next year, it will not be the same. We will further improve on the beautiful city you have seen. And so, for us, I want to challenge the institute. I challenge you to partner with the Rivers State government for further development and infrastructural development.
Are you getting cooperation from the Federal Government on your effort towards developing the state?
This state is blessed. But, let me tell you something that may interest most of you. I have told Nigerians that once elections are over, we should be talking about governance. They should not be talking about political party. Everything has been done to see that we don’t move forward. This is the only state, for one year, we have had over six Commissioners of Police. Calculate it, on the average, 12 months should be one year, isn’t it? So, in every two months, there will be one CP (Commissioner of Police). Tell me how, if you bring a CP and you are planning with that CP on how to improve on the security situation in the state, and he brings his own ideas and say this is how he is going to tackle the security situation. It’s okay. I say, the ideas are good, let’s see how we can work on it.
When we are trying to implement the strategies that the CP has introduced, the next day, he will come to me in the night, to say, I have been transferred. Then, when the new one comes, he removes all the other DPOs (Divisional Police Officers) and brings his own DPOs. I said well, what will we do? He said, look, I have my own strategy to see how we can solve the security situation. I said fine, unknown to him, by January, not up to one month, by February, by the time we swing into action, he will be transferred. In such a situation, what will you do? So, everything has been done to make sure that this state does not move forward.
But, when God is with you, there is no fear. And we have refused to be distracted. That is why when Nigeria is talking about recession, Rivers State is talking about infrastructure. When people are talking about what to do to pay salaries, we are talking about how do we add money for them for Christmas.
What is happening to the rerun elections?
They have continued to postpone elections in the state on the premise of flimsy excuses. The Senate will be discussing the Petroleum Industry Bill; they are talking about constitution amendment, a state that produces the oil, cannot be part of that exercise and then you say it will be good. I produce oil and you deny me the opportunity to have a presentation on where you are going to discuss this issue. Nobody is representing Rivers State in the Senate, not one. They deny a whole state. You are talking of constitutional amendment, nobody will speak for this state, and Nigerians are not worried. Why? It’s a minority state, we can trample upon them, nothing will happen. The constitution said each state shall be represented by three senators. We don’t have one. So, when you go back, you also ask your brothers and sisters who are involved, and say why you are doing this. What is so peculiar? Why do you think that Rivers State should not have people at the Senate?
My thinking about change is that we must abandon things we were not doing correctly and do them in a correct way. That is my own thinking of what change means. I don’t know that the change they are talking about now is that don’t arrest people in the daytime, arrest them at the odd hour. That is the change.
Why the frequent postponement of Rivers rerun elections?
Look at the crisis in Nigeria; it is because some people want to take over Rivers State. All the whole thing, you have been hearing are plots to take over Rivers State. What do you want to take? Is it your own? Let them do election; they only planned to get the members of Assembly, so they will impeach the governor and put their own man. In fact, the day they came here, Obama couldn’t have had that number of security personnel. They came here, when they saw how the whole thing was going, they sneaked out in the night and ran away. Since March 19 till now, every day, they will fix date for election. When it gets to December 10, they will say its Christmas period, let’s keep it till next year.
Election took place in Borno; election took place in Adamawa; election took place in Yobe, where you have the insurgency. You were able to conduct elections and votes were counted. Votes were counted, but here, the insecurity is too much, we cannot do any election. You can do election in Sambisa forest and stay there and count votes, but here, you cannot do election, insecurity.