It’s time to save Nigeria, Wike pleads with nationalists

Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt

As insecurity continues to plunge the nation into uncertainty, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has called on those he referred to as true nationalists, who believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria, to rise and work together to rescue the country from disintegration.

The governor made the call when he hosted members of the South-South Zonal Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Governor Wike said it was obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government had not only lost capacity to solve the protracted insecurity problem plaguing the country, but neither had any iota of empathy for Nigerians and nor cared whether they were dying.

“APC Governors have come out to say the present APC federal government will solve the security problems. But every day people are dying. When will they solve the problems?

“Own up and say to Nigerians, we have failed on the promises that we made to you. And honourably say, as it is done in other advanced countries, that since we cannot perform and carry out the covenant we have with Nigerians, we have decided to quit.

“Every reasonable Nigerian, every nationalist who believes in this country should come up and make sure this country moves forward, if not it is going to affect everybody,” he stated.

Governor Wike noted that since Nigeria was not a place where honour and integrity guided the conduct of public office holders, the APC Federal Government would not own up to their failings in handling of issues of insecurity.

He enjoined Nigerians to also brace up and not to resign to fate to crying, but resolve to use their PVC to vote out the APC at the appropriate time.

According to him, if Nigeria was a nation where honour and integrity were valued, the present APC-led federal government which did not care even if dead bodies were littering on all the roads in the country, would honourably quit power.

The governor recalled watching Senator Smart Adeyemi recently crying on the floor of the National Assembly over the spate of insecurity in the country. He declared that instead of crying, the lawmaker and his colleagues should take the necessary action to arrest the situation.

Speaking further, Governor Wike said despite the peculiarity of the different people in the South-South, there was need for the people to see themselves as one and make it difficult for outsiders from the zone to infiltrate the region.

The governor, who congratulated the delegation for emerging as new executive members of PDP South-South Zone, said no other geopolitical zone in the country was dominated by a single party except the South-South.

“This is the only zone you have one party controlling the entire zone. So, it is a plus for us. This is because our people believe in us, and they believe in our party and that is why they have made sure that PDP wins every election that comes in the zone.

“I’m quite happy in what is happening in our zone in terms of development. Yes, things are not too good in Nigeria, but we have never relented. It is in tough situation you must make a difference,” he said.

PDP National Vice Chairman (South-South) Chief Dan Orbih, said they came to thank Governor Wike for hosting the last zonal congress of the party where they were elected.

He noted that under the APC-led Federal government, that Nigerians were no longer safe. According to him, farmers in the South-South live in fear of marauding herdsmen.

“I must report to you that in the South-South most of our people cannot go to farms. If our people cannot access their farms, it is a clear signal of the impending food crisis we are going to face in this nation.

“Looking at the country today, different areas are advocating for a conference where we can sit down and address the problems we are facing. The Yorubas have formed the group called the Amotekun to protect their people. The Igbos have done the same. Today, I feel the South South should come together to take steps to protect our people,” he said.

Orbih commended Governor Wike for the several measures he had taken to safeguard life and property of all residents in the state.

He declared that Governor Wike’s achievements would continue to serve as a benchmark for good governance in Nigeria.