Count Niger Deltans out of agitation to divide Nigeria, says Wike
Governor Nyesom Wike
Leaders and people of Niger Delta will always strive to defend the unity of Nigeria, because to them, the country remaining as one indivisible entity is ‘non negotiable’ and of paramount importance, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said.
Speaking in Sokoto when he paid a visit to Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad at his palace, Wike said the interest of Nigerians and Africans will be better served with Nigeria remaining as one ‘strong and united nation.’
Said he: “Let me first of all sincerely thank you, our father the Sultan, for what you are doing for this country, working tirelessly to ring peace and to bring unity to the people. So for all of us this is what is meant by one Nigeria.
“We cannot run away from this country. The unity of this country is very, very paramount. The unity of this country is non-negotiable. I am from the Niger Delta, from Rivers State to be specific so I cannot see us in a divided country. No way. We stand for the unity of this country,” Wike added.
According to the governor, his administration has put a lot of time, resources and energy to protect national assets especially the ones in Rivers State.
“In Rivers you hardly find pipeline vandalisation. We are working at all times to protect national assets in our state. In my state, I am governor for all the people living in the state. I am not a governor of a particular political party, but a governor for all the people of Rivers State.”
While commending the Sultan for his leadership of the Muslim community in Nigeria, Wike said he was in Sokoto to felicitate with his colleague, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who gave out his daughter in marriage on Saturday.
He equally dispelled the notion that his relationship with Tambuwal had political connotation, saying has been his friend for a long time, “long before politics defined who we are now.”
“Tambuwal is my friend for a long time. If anything affects him, it affects me also. If he gives out his daughter in marriage, I have to be here to support him. If any problem happens to him, it affects me as well.
“Your Eminence I am here to seek your royal blessing. You have blessed me before, that is why I am growing. So let me wish you a prosperous new year ahead,” he added.
In their remarks, both the host governor and Sultan implored Nigerians to live in peace with one another, and wished their countrymen and women a year full of happiness and blessings.
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1 Comments
I have thought that Wike is a reasonable person
occasioned by the fact that he is a lawyer but it seems that he is cog in the state House.
People who are agitating for a different country are suffocated by the entity or geographical expression called Nigeria. Intrinsically, a vast land as Nigeria seems advantageous because it would provide a wide market for businesses. But as operated since independence, Nigeria is a vast wasteland. Nigeria has not made any significant contribution to society since independence. Why?
The system whereby a few people sit around and make decisions for people that they don’t care about, know nothing about, and expressly have hated over the years.
The call or agitations for separation is stemmed from this stifling operations of the Nigerian entity because it seems like the few who have benefited
immensely from the political dysfunction continue to have a stranglehold on the country and continue to perpetuate the hatred of others, which over the years have resulted in mass murders to the level of genocide.
To worsen things the organs of government mandated to act without fear or favor such as the courts and security agencies have been active and sometimes passive players in these murders.
In light of all these, should a people who feel cheated, stuffed, and often times outrightly robbed remain and be happy to remain in such an association called Nigeria?
Mr. Wike you don not speak for the Niger Delta and I believe you do not speak for the majority of Rivers state people.
An association such as Nigeria can only thrive through constant negotiations and renegonatiations to reflect reality. And the reality, is that the one size fits all ideology is sinking the country and anyone who aspires to quit the association before being drowned by the weight of dysfunction has a natural right to determine their fate, which by the way does not derive from the entity called Nigeria or the laws thereof.
We will review and take appropriate action.