Ogoni clean-up deceptive, politicised, Wike alleges

Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has taken a critical look at the ongoing cleanup of Ogoniland and declared that the Federal Government has not been sincere in the exercise.

The governor said that the government at the centre was being deceptive and playing politics with the Ogoni milieu remediation programme recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Wike spoke during the commissioning of the 16.06 kilometers dual carriage Sakpenwa-Bori Highway by the Governor of Enugu State Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Lawrence Ugwuanyi in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.

He noted that Ogoni, having played a pivotal role in the economic development of Rivers State and the country, deserved more than what was being offered to the area by the federal government.

The governor urged Ogoni people to stop believing those who used the Ogoni clean up exercise at the turn of election year to deceive them and wondered why clean-up never happened when elections were over.

He said: “I am not like Federal Government. They promised you they will do Ogoni clean up. Has it been cleaned? I promised you road, have I done it? So you can see the difference between our party and their own party. The difference is clear.

“When election comes in 2023, they will start another clean up. You people don’t even ask questions. Why is it a year to election that Ogoni clean up will always commence? Now that there is no election are they doing clean up? Watch from next year they will start clean up,” he stated.

Governor Wike said it had remained undisputed that only the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were delivering development projects to their people.

The governor challenged those who felt uncomfortable with his public declarations to also showcase their projects and invite persons of repute to commission them as he had done since December.

He stated that because of the existing mutual trust between his leadership team and the people, sufficient progress had been achieved in Ogoni land and in the entire state in terms of project delivery.

Governor Wike announced the commencement of the phase two of the newly commissioned road, which would stretch from Bori to Kono and would be awarded to the same construction firm, CCECC.

“Let me tell you, I will dualise from here, Bori to Kono. It will be handled by the same contractor to maintain the same standard.

“So, when I finish and go, I will tell Ogoni people that it was in my tenure that you got road: dualised road, from Saakpenwa to Kono with street lights.

“This is what we call development. You can leave Port Harcourt and come back home any day, any time. This is what makes a city.

“When I say Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors are doing well, people are angry. If they are doing well, let them call us. Is it hidden?

“PDP Governors, we are challenging others, tell us what you’re doing. It is not to take money to go and buy one governor. That’s not it. We are talking about governors that are interested in the development of their people. We are commissioning projects,” he continued.

Wike said he promised and that within the specified period, he had delivered to them what he pledged in order to demonstrate that his party was different from the others which he said were associated with failed promises.

The governor has meanwhile directed the chairman of Khana local government to ensure that the installed street lights are switched on every night to improve the security situation in the area.

Ugwuanyi acknowledged that many projects had been inaugurated by Wike, including the Saakpenwa -Bori road which was a campaign promise that had been fulfilled.

Ugwuanyi said: “Today’s event is significant as it epitomises the desirable fellowship among colleague governors while providing opportunity for experience sharing and other discourses on service delivery.

“I congratulate your Excellency, Governor Wike, on the accomplishment of this infrastructural milestone among many others which will undoubtedly make life more meaningful for the people of Ogoni land.

“I understand that this strategic road project was a campaign promise that has been truthfully fulfilled. Expectedly, it gladdens the hearts of Ogoni people and reinforces their faith in our constitutional democracy.

“I enjoin the good people of Ogoni land and entire Rivers State to continue to support Governor Wike with their prayers and wise counsel as he takes Rivers State to the next level,” he said.

In his goodwill message, a former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee, said several governors used the road as point of political campaigns, but all failed to fulfil such promises.

He said if the money wasted on the abandoned monorail by the immediate past administration was properly channelled, more flyovers and roads would have been achieved in the State.

Similarly, the president of Kagote, an Ogoni group, Hon. Emma Deeyaah, said governor Wike had wiped sway their tears and solved the nightmare situation that the road caused the people.

President of Gbokabari, Senator Ben Birabi noted that such quality of roads were hardly delivered in Ogoni land and said Governor Wike had re-energised the spirit of freedom in the state and had performed above expectations despite the lean financial resources.

Commissioner for Works, Mr. Elloka Tasie-Amadi, said again, the Wike administration had demonstrated commitment in delivering of long term service projects that would enhance socioeconomic life of the people.

He said: “This project is a 16.06 km DUAL carriage highway, with a 2m wide concrete median, an overall road width of 22.3m, drainage network of 12.02 Km, 480 double arm streetlight poles complete with transformers and generators to power the streetlights.

“It used to be a deplorable 7.3m wide road but what we have today is 3 times wider than it was then. If we were to stretch this road into a single carriageway it would stretch from here all the way to Kono a distance of about 36 km from Sapkenwa.

“This is excluding the added mileage we would achieve by converting the concrete median and street lighting to asphalt pavement,” he informed.