The Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that he is united with the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, in desire to see a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
Speaking just before commissioning House of Assembly Quarters in Port-Harcourt on Friday, Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila said that they would stand together against those who wish to destroy the country by their brand of politics.
Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila said: “I am here to tell them that even though Governor Wike and I may belong to different political parties and come from different cultures, we are united in our desire to see a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria and we are joined at the hips in our determination to stand together against those who wish to destroy our country by practising politics that amounts to nothing”.
He said it’s providential that the state at the moment is being governed by Governor Wike whom he described as a “tested administrator and politician par excellence”.
The Speaker said the governor practises politics of courage and conviction and has shown capacity time and again to govern with competence.
He said the governor built the residences for the legislators to ensure that they would have convenient environment as they discharge their responsibilities as law-making arm of the government.
He also said that he appreciates the work done by the governor for the state lawmakers.
“With this project His Excellency Nyesom Ezebuwon Wike has demonstrated his recognition of the vital role of the legislators in a functioning democracy. It now falls to the present and future legislators to live up to the high expectations of their office and justify the confidence reposed in them”.
He said time spent in the residences should push them to action and enact laws for the benefit of the people.
Speaking earlier, the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, had said he had invited the Speaker of the House of Representatives because of the role he played in helping the state get back money spent on federal roads from the federal government.
Governor Wike said that the Speaker did not demand gratification for the role he played in helping the state get back the money from the federal government.
Governor Wike said: “I did not invite you here because you are an APC member. I invited you here because of the role you played for Rivers State to get their money and I said come and see what I’ve done with that money”.
He described the Assembly Quarters as good environment for the lawmakers.
He said: “Look at the environment the legislators are going to live in. They will make good laws. They will think well. Everything is provided here. This is how it’s supposed to be to complement each other: the executive, legislature and judiciary. It’s all about passion. It’s all about commitment you are seeing here. Some people say it’s money. It’s not money. The little you have, show what you can do. If they give you N1billion and you cannot do anything, if they give you N20billion, you cannot do anything”.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi Owaji-Ibani, had in his speech commended Governor Wike for the beautiful House of Assembly Quarters, describing the governor as a courageous and competent leader.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike said he did not file lawsuit against the Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking at the event, Governor Wike said: “Some people have called me throughout this morning (Friday) that I went to court against Atiku Abubakar. I want to say categorically that if I had reason to go to court, I would go to court but I didn’t go to court. I just want to say it for Nigerians to know that I have kept quiet and I’m busy delivering dividends of democracy. Anybody who knows me knows too well that if I was going to court I would have gone to court within two weeks after the primaries because this is a pre-election matter”.
He accused those in the candidate’s group as being responsible for the fake news he had gone to court.
Governor Wike said: “Let the world hear, they are the ones plotting all these things thinking that they will spoil my name. You cannot. We are supposed to be talking about how he will win election. They are not doing him any favour rather they are trying to make him not to win election”.
He said that those trying to distract him should leave him alone.
