2015-2019: Wike Has Left Lasting Legacy For Posterity–Immediate Past Adviser On Political Matters and Strategy
The achievements of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the last four years has been credited to his policy of not taking the people of the state for granted. This observation was made by the immediate past Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters and Strategy, Barr.Emeh Glory Emeh, after the valedictory State Executive Council meeting in Government House on Wednesday.
“Wike’s achievement can be credited to the fact that he did not take our people for granted. He is known to be at peace and therefore at home with the good people of Rivers State. What all of us who served in Wike’s administration will take away is his broad detailed experience in a wide range of issues including the Governor’s outstanding retentive memory. I think all of us are united on this, I must confess.
“As the state executive council winds down today we are proud to look back down the past four years and beat our chest with pride and gratitude to God that our people made a good choice in Governor Wike as there would have been no alternative at this point in time. For those of us who had the privilege to serve under His Excellency, we owe him a word of gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the past four years”, the appreciative Emeh said.
Speaking on economic empowerment initiatives of Governor Wike’s administration, the former commissioner for transport and aviation said:
“Empowerment is like an omnibus terminology because when you build roads you have empowered the people; when you build houses you have empowered the people. Empowerment is not only when you give out cash. But the governor also believes that our people are familiar with cash as a form of empowerment. That was why he embarked on the 200 million per month youth and traders empowerment scheme and also the civil servants 100 million per month empowerment scheme. And all that have been running and we are also believing God that, in spite of the fact that the first term is winding down towards 29 May, that the programme will continue to run as Governor Wike comes for his second term”.
Speaking in efforts by Wike administration to promote unity in the state, he said the Governor came at the right time in the history of Rivers State, at a time the state needed a man adequately prepared to provide service.
“The Governor observed very quickly that he is not likely to achieve much without a united people so he started early enough to break all those barriers that have hindered cohesive relations in the past. In the past we used to have the reverine / upland dichotomy, an ideology people introduced into the politics of the state for selfish reasons but Governor Wike discovered that there is no benefit in it rather it will benefit the state more if the various ethnic nationalities are united in purpose to advance our collective interests.
“He cemented the bond of fraternal coexistence and broke all the barriers of ethnocentric separatism. That can be said to be the reason why he has achieved this level of unparalleled level of infrastructural and human resources development”, he emphasized.
On appointments and distribution of projects, Chief Emeh said:
“There is no local government area or ethnic group that does not have the signature of Governor Wike in terms of infrastructure. “Strategic roads were constructed in Etche; there is the new Sapkenwa road in Ogoni which has reduced motoring time to Bori; the people of Opobo can now drive home because of His Excellency’s commitment to work on the unity road while NLNG had been made to pay the counter part funding for the Bodo-Bomu-Bonny road that is ongoing.
“At Ahoada, Elele and other communities across the state you will see internal roads that have been done. There is a road traversing Rumuche, Rumuohia, Rumuakunde, Mgbuetor up to Isiodu, and running to the river, to cross to Ogbodo in Isiokpo. The Governor had earlier done a road from Owerri road to the Ogbodo river, and we are hopeful that the bridge will be done before the end of his second tenure. This will enable people to access the airport from the East West road without crossing the Choba bridge.
“There is sand filling in Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru, and other parts of the state have also benefited from government projects. At Ubima, home town of former governor and Minister of Transportation, Chibuika Amaechi, dilapidated school buildings were rebuilt.
“There is no local government that does not have a commissioner in the State Executive Council, which is the decision making organ of government. If you have every local government represented at the state Executive Council it means that the voice of their people are heard before decisions are taken. Apart from the qualifications of the individual His Excellency also considers that one is representing the interest of a particular ethnic nationality”, the immediate past Special Adviser concluded.
