Promise, in the context of this write-up, could be said to be an offer of inducement by the seeking party to the other party soliciting cooperation and assistance in a deal.
It is subject to fulfillment and it is” said to be fulfilled when executed within a specific period of time.
Everybody makes promise at one time or other. The challenges of life make it so. How much it is fulfilled is a function of sincerity propelled by Integrity. Above all, it is a single most-challenging tool of life that makes or mars goodwill.
A fulfilled promise promotes trust, confidence, cooperation, love, etc. It also creates goodwill and presents the promiser in the light of sincerity,
Since independence, successive political leaders., at all levels, had made electioneering campaign promises in their parties’ manifestoes to the masses of this nation but these promises are hardly fulfilled either by omission or commission (only God knows). The negative impact of this non fulfillment by the unpatriotic leaders need not be over emphasized.
Nevertheless, the nation in many decades has suffered incalculable losses due to non fulfillment of these promises. Trillions of naira have been lost to incessant labour strikes Several lives lost to incessant medical workers strikes. Many citizens languished and died in prison custodies awaiting trials, etc. all due to industrial actions from non fulfillment of governments promises to the people.
Unfortunately, this level of political consciousness continue unabated and the cumulative sad effect is that the electorates’ confidence and national patriotism completely killed living in place a nation where the citizenry runs berserk for sustenance with no regard to law and national interest.
This provokes intimidating crimes, corruption in work places, looting of public funds, tax evasion, poor attitude to work, careless use of corporate properties, ‘tapping’/conversion of public properties to private use, low national productivity, violence, heightened agitation for self determination and sustained threat to national unity. And so a super-rich nation like Nigeria becomes a beggar in the comity of averagely rich nations due to the callous and unpatriotic actions of an infinitesimal fraction of opportuned citizens as power-brokers, who turn money bags over night and frustrate the golden growth of a blessed nation.
Fortunately, this crop of political leaders appear to be on fast decline as indicated by unfolding events.
Nevertheless, no matter the grave frustrations of the citizens in the hands of these ever-disappointing, leaders, there are service or people-oriented leader the masses ever hope for. And events in recent times indicate that the era of this is in the offing. A generation of people or service oriented leadership.
In 2015 when the then Supervisory Minster of Education, Hon. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike emerged as contender to the office of the State Governor in the general election of the year, little or nothing did anybody know that a service-oriented leader was in the offing.
His campaign train trailed the cities and towns of Rivers State soliciting their mandates. He made promises. He noted the resentment of the people with promises. They had enough of it with not much to write home about vis-a-vis the huge revenues accruing to the state. He also noted the voters apathy of the people as antecedences indicate that voting of one’s candidates no longer count in the country.
As he trailed on, he kept assuring the people that their votes would count this time around, and that none of his promises would remain unfulfilled. This sounded the usual empty shell thing to the fade-up people of the state with promises.
However, he was given the mandate but the people least expected the fulfillment of his promises. After all, Nigerians are immune to non fulfillment of election promises by political leaders ever. But true that “wonders shall never end”, the attendees at the swearing-in ceremony of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on 29th may, 2015 did not reach their homes when the sound of caterpillars on many hitherto terribly bad roads in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Obio/Akpor LGA and the environs rented the air. Road construction works started in earnest. A feat quite unprecedented anywhere on the swearing-in day, thus manifesting a service oriented consciousness with a fast and pragmatic approach to governance delivery. The awe-struck rivers people were ushered into a dawn of unprecedented developmental trajectory so greatly evidenced today. Since-then it has been achievable people – oriented projects/programmes galore.
Aware of infrastructural development as key to the growth of a developing nation, spurred by burning desire and determination to transform the state; and conscious of his election promises and time of delivery to limit the people’s expectations, he traverses the state like epidemic planting development projects here and there.
His “Operation No Potholes” on Rivers roads soon turned all the 23 local government areas of the state to construction sites on even spread of road construction and transformation. And just in less than two year in office the people of the state began to witness, in amazement and excitement, a massively revolutionized construction and transformation of strategic/internal roads in the state that immediately earned him the befitting title MR. PROJECT and prompted the Royal Fathers of the state to say “Your Excellency, your Traditional Rulers are very proud of your achievements in less than. two years in office” in the Traditional Rulers Council meeting with Governor Wike on so” January, 2017. Paul M. Pepple 2018, “KING JAJA 76th Birth Oay ed.”
This even spread of road infrastructural development/transformation soon impacted positively on all the 23 local government area of the State as evidenced in the great improvement in transportation and communication, increase in residents population, improvement in biz and social lives of the people and translating in the potential rise in the economy of the communities and the state. And within 3 years in office Governor Wike undeniably, transforms the state thorough massive infrastructural and other sector development to the appreciation of the good-loving people of the state and beyond. “We can attest without fear of contradiction that there is no local government your people oriented projects have not touched”. The custodians of culture and tradition of the state, in their Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council meeting with Governor on 29th May 2018 again vouched. Paul M. Pepple 2018, “KING JAJA 76th Birth Day ed.”
Since Governor Nyesom Wike got the mandate of the people and resumed office on May 29, 2015, he has been traversing the state like harmatan fire, planting development projects here and there assuring the people that his election campaign promises and all projects of his administration, including uncompleted project(s) of the immediate past administration with immediate positive economic impact to the people would be completed within his tenure. His myriad of completed strategies/internal road infrastructure and other sectors achievement, in so short a time, prove to the people that he is not a political leader of ‘mean standing as noted by all and sundry. “We are grateful to you and your government for even spread of road project throughout the state. We note that majority of these projects which are keys to further development of the state… This is one example of people oriented projects by your government … to affect the lives of ordinary citizens of this state”, The Traditional Rulers Council appreciated this in its council meeting with Governor Wike on so” January 2017. Paul M. Pepple 2018 “KING JAJA, 76th Birth Day Ed”.
Gov. Wike’s pragmatic and equitable approach to governance delivery, an entirely new definition of governance has led to the awesome and all round achievements just in the first three years of his administration. And this is undisputable. “We affirm that there is hardly any sector of our economy you have not made appreciative impact on”. The Traditional Rulers Council of the state again attest to this in council’s meeting with Gov. Wike on May 29th 2018. Paul M. Pepple 2018 “King Jaja, 76th Birth Day Ed”.
To enumerate Gov. Wike’s achievements within three and a half years in office would require a great space. But this is unnecessary since they are so obvious. For what the eyes see needs no witness. Nevertheless, a scratch is imperative here.
Gov. Wike has made impressive impact on road, Education, Health, Housing, Employment, Empowerment, Social Welfare, etc.
A trip from Trans Amadi to Borokiri, Akpajo to Rumuolumeni, Oroigwe to Opobo, Saapenwa to Abonema, Omoku to Omuma, Andoni to Ndoni, Ogu/Obolo to Khana, etc. would petrify the sojourner on network of strategic and internal road infrastructural achievement of Gov. Wike’s administration.
His policy on education has constructed and transformed many schools from basic to tertiary institutions across the state. Employed and trained a good number of teachers, rebuilt upgraded and equipped many schools across the state, many internal/International scholarship programmes for Rivers State students, etc.
Health sector has witness the construction and reconstruction of many hospitals and health centres across the state, equipped and upgrade many hospital/health centres, training of medical personnels in the state, construction and equipment of ultra modern doctors’ quarters, etc.
Employment policy has owned the ICT based job creation platform for job seekers, creation of Neighborhood Safety corps, many, skill acquisition/employment programmes, empowerment of widows, traders, young entrepreneurs, youths, women, civil servants, numerous job creations across the state, etc.
Housing policy owns the construction of ultra modern NBA secretariat, Federal High Court/National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt. Ultra modern Traditional Rulers Council Secretariat, ultra modern NLC secretariat in D/Line, Port Harcourt, ultra modern Mile 1 market destroyed by the many years ago, completion of Rurnuokoro ultra modern Market, construction of Port Harcourt Fruit market just destroyed by fire few months ago, 50 units low cost houses at Iriebe, 50 one bedroom flats for DSS, 25 units 2bedrroom flats for NAF, 20 five bedroom flats for state judges, 24 three bedroom flats for civil servants, 50 local houses in Ogu/Obolo, numerous main markets across the state, construction of ecumenical centre for religious worship, flyovers, etc.
Social welfare policy reconstructed and equipped the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park and many civic centres across the state. The list goes on.
Gov. Wike’s amazing achievements in so short a time attract appreciation/recognition from within and outside the state and country. “Your achievements are legion and for want of space we cannot enumerate all of them in this address. But suffice it to say you have done us proud. For the achievement and the level of development in every sector of our economy, we shall jointly and severally move a vote of confidence in you and your government”. The Traditional Rulers Council of the state declared in council meeting with Gov. Wike on 29th May 2018, “Paul M. Pepple 2018 “King Jaja, 76th Birth Day Ed”.
The people of the state praise and wish him greater strength. The Traditional Rulers of the state extol and honour him, the media and international organizations commend and recognize him with various accolades. The different religious fathers praise and bless him for amazing performance within just three years of governance.
Yes leaders had performed. But not on record with such level of rapid and equitable distribution of development in all the 23 local government area of the state in just 3 years in office to the wide appreciation and commendation of all and sundry in and beyond the state/nation.
This is the unique and awesome aspect of Gov. Wike’s performance as he seems to be driving these all sector developments in a truck dropping them here and there wherever he goes within this short period.
It is pertinent to state here that a service or people oriented leader enjoys the confidence, cooperation, trust and support of their followers. This is evidence in the overwhelming support to Gov. Wike in the incidental re-run election of December 2015, six months after he resumed office. Impressed with the good start, a pointer that Gov. Wike could be the expected service oriented leader, abundantly justified today, the electorates of the state stood steadfastly by to revalidate the collective mandate given him in the governorship election earlier that year. And Gov. Nyezom Wike was returned to office with overwhelming victory.
Also the rapid reaction of Rivers people against any issue from outside the state that tends to present the Gov. in bad light, and the volume of impressive social media testimonies to Gov. Wike’s performance eloquently attest to this appreciative angle. Gov. Wike enjoys this vanguard till today.
As his campaign train, trails the towns and cities of Rivers State again, this time around, it would simply be the pointing, boldly and proudly, to the numerous evidences of his governance delivery in one single turn, a unique one at that.
And if one good turn deserves another, in-deed it does. And whereas the Rivers people, in appreciation, have called on him to take another turn, and he has ungrudgingly accepted, which of course he should for sustainable development. And whereas Gov. Wike has been tested, proved, believed and trusted as the service or people oriented leader. And whereas the Rivers people again are in the spirit of 2015 goveronorship election and the December 2015 incidental re-run election, therefore, it strongly holds that only the MOTHER OF MIRACLES could stop Gov. Wike from continuing his job of state transformation after 2019 general elections.
Infact, no accomplished leader the world over ever hosted the citizens to dinners to be so acclaimed. The infrastructural developments and well articulated people oriented policies on corporate welfare programmes remain the measurement.
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Harmatan fire of development and electorates friendly, has performed beyond his election campaign promises and restores the electorates confidence. Undoubtedly, he is an accomplished leader. His well articulated policies on people oriented programmes prove that he is not a leader by accident but by strong predetermination, anchored on vision and passion to manifest a new Rivers State. Ride on Sir.
