Wike begins consultations to choose successor- Port harcourt 2023

Former governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia; Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and his deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo during the inauguration of the Ezimgbu Road by Governor Fintiri on Monday in Port Harcourt....CONTINUE READING>>>

Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike said he has started the process of consultation for choosing who will take over from him as the next governor of the State in 2023.

Wike who spoke at the inauguration of the Ezimgbu Road that was performed by the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on Monday in Port Harcourt.

He said he has already told some leaders of the state who paid him a birthday visit,

Wike reiterated that no candidate will be imposed on the party or Rivers people.

He also urged any member of his cabinet nursing governorship ambition to be at liberty to resign.

“This morning, our leaders came to me to wish me happy birthday. I told them thank you and that I also have a birthday gift for them. I told them, you know I’m leaving, now, we have to start consultation for who takes over.

“And I told them, let nobody go and spend his money because after the consultation, we will all sit down and say this is the person we think that should continue where we have stopped.

“So, the issue of who is going to take over from me, the process has started and it has stared today being my birthday. But what is important to us, like I have always said, we are not going to impose anybody.”

Governor Wike stated that it is important that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues to ensure that elections are free and fair.

According to him, if not for the courage to rig election, why will anybody in Rivers State be gearing up to campaign for election on the platform of another party instead of the PDP. He said whatever their plans are, they will fail.

The Governor added that it is now obvious that the Federal Government is not interested in revitalising the nation’s economy because its programmes on stimulation of the economy have failed on all fronts.

Governor Wike stated that if the development of infrastructure is one way to stimulate the economy, then the Federal Government approach to the development of such critical infrastructure should be apolitical.

The governor pointed to the deplorable condition of the Lagos- Ibadan Road that is so important to the nation’s economy and growth of interstate and regional business activities.

“Let me say something very clearly. When government say they want to stimulate economy and you wonder how are they going to stimulate and make the economy to grow. This morning, something came to my mind, and I said what a country is this?

“Look at a road like Lagos -Ibadan road, which is an important road in this country, cannot be competed by the Federal Government. They bring politics and ethnicity in everything we are doing.

“So, how do you stimulate the economy when a road like that cannot be completed until now. Look at the road leading to the (Port Harcourt) refinery, the seaport, up until now, the federal government cannot complete it. How do you stimulate the economy?”

Governor Wike also noted that the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme of the Federal Government, which gives money to farmers, has not been implemented to yield desired impact.

The governor said it is not enough to go on media to announce how much has been expended in prosecuting those initiative if there cannot commensurate evidence.

“And then you hear trillions of Naira being budgeted for, you see people talk about giving N200billion to Anchor borrowers, Anchor leaders, to anchor this and that. We have no problem about giving money to agriculture. What we are saying, having given out this money, what is the impact?

“You’re saying that we don’t want more importation, we have no problems. We are in support of it. But having stopped importation, what is the fate of the ordinary Nigerians. Is the food there? If the food is there, is it cheap?

“So, the availability is not there, the cost is high, so what is the whole meaning of encouraging our farmers to produce. The whole money you have given what is the impact it has created?

“So, we should not be deceiving people. We should tell people we are able to do this and we did it. This (federal) administration is doing nothing to improve the life of the citizens.”

Performing the inauguration, the Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri noted that he had always known Governor Wike as a man who has instituted a culture of commissioning projects in Rivers State for the use of the people.