By Valentine Amanze
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has explained that he congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal confirmed his election because it was better to offer public congratulations than visit the President at night.
Wike said that unlike some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who visit Buhari at night, he made his declaration public because the tribunal made it so.
He spoke at the Funeral Service in honour of the late Madam Blessing Awuse, the mother of Onha Sergent Chidi Awuse, at the St Luke’s Anglican Church, Emohua on Thursday.
He said: “I am sure all of you are surprised that I congratulated Buhari. Is it not good for me to congratulate him than to go to his house in the night?
“So many PDP govenrors go to see him in his house in the night. I have never gone and I will not go. I won’t go.
“We are the only state that the Federal Government refused to pay us our money used to execute Federal projects because I don’t go to see him in the night and I won’t go. He is not my friend, he is not doing well, but he won in court, should I say that the court did wrong, no.
“President Buhari, congratulations and carry Nigerians along. Unify the country, the country is too divided. I am saying what is right. What I will do, I will do, what I will not do, I will not do”.
Wike however defined politics as a game of interest, noting that Rivers people in the All Progressives Congress are under obligation to attract Federal benefits to the state.
‘Politics is a game of interest. And my only interest is Rivers State. Anything that is against the interest of Rivers State, I will not agree.
“These people sold us out, thinking that they are doing Governor Wike. It is the state that you are offending, because I am just one person “.
Wike also expressed displeasure that Rivers State has key links to President Muhammadu Buhari from the state, yet the East-West road, the seaports and other Federal projects had been completely neglected since 2015. He said that nothing indicates that Rivers State has prominent APC members working with Buhari.
The Rivers State governor pointed out that Rivers State is a Christian state. He said that Rivers being a Christian State will not be changed by negative propaganda and falsehood targeted at his person. He restated that he never demolished a Mosque as was falsely circulated by some mischief makers.
According to him, Rivers State is a major oil producing state that deserves major projects from the Federal Government.
His words:
“We produce oil. They should not punish Rivers State because of me. I am just one individual. We have not benefited anything from the Federal Government. The only thing we have benefited is the abuse they heap on me.
“They turned the NDDC into a cash cow to sponsor elections against us. Nobody protested that anomaly. Now they want us to protest because someone did not nominate the management of NDDC this time.
“Since 2015, NDDC has not had its governing board, but nobody protested. I will not be dragged into such protests, ” he said.
On the passage of the late Mrs Blessing Awuse, the mother of Ohna Sergeant Awuse, Governor Wike said that she lived a fulfilled life and raised disciplined and trustworthy children. He said that her burial was a celebration of life. Chief mourner, Ohna Sergeant Awuse, thanked the Rivers State governor for his love and friendship. He said that the Rivers State governor always intervened at the most critical time.
Anglican Bishop of Ikwerre Diocese, Rt Rev Blessing Enyindah, praised the Rivers State governor for his commitment to the development of the state.
He urged the governor to continue with his good works. He advised Wike to focus on the people in all his programmes.
