Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, says the South would soon take a position and make a declarative statement on the 2023 Presidential election that would shock the country.
“The day the South will speak, Nigeria will shake. We believe in the unity of this country, but nobody can threaten us. Nobody should threaten us. We believe in the unity of Nigeria and unity of Nigeria must continue,” the vocal governor said.
Wike spoke at a grand reception organised in his honour by the people of Kalabari ethnic nationality at the Abalama School field in Asari Toru Local Government Area on Saturday.
Wike was conferred a traditional title of Se- Ibidokubo of Kalabari land (He who does good things for Kalabari people) by the Amayanabo of Abonnema, King Gboko Desreal Bob-manuel.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not give its presidential ticket to any candidate, who would serve only the interest of the wealthy few in Nigeria.
The governor said some desperate politicians were already scheming for a candidate, who would not serve the interest of the many.
His words: “No amount of gang up can make PDP to give somebody who will want to run election for the interest of some big men, and not for all Nigerians.
“Anybody who wants to be a candidate of PDP must be a candidate for the interest of Nigerians.”
He expressed concerns over the fact that some companies in the country continued to post annual financial profits regularly in a poor national economy to the detriment of the poor.
Wike said such profits, invariably, shared only by the rich, made them to get richer, while the majority of the population of the country became poorer.
The governor lambasted Rivers politicians serving in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for their inability to attract federal government projects to the state.
On the next Rivers governorship poll, Wike said everybody was entitled to aspire to be the next governor ,but such a person must show capacity to protect the interest of the state.
He said the Kalabari people had not done well in terms of loving themselves and working in unity adding that only a united people could stand up to make demands.
The governor announced the extension of the deadline for the completion of the Trans Kalabari Road phase one project by two months owing to the period lost when workmen were kidnapped on site.
He disclosed that if the finances of the state improved, his administration might award the next phase of the Trans Kalabari Road before the expiration of his tenure.
The governor, while cancelling the contract for the reconstruction of Kalabari National College due to foreseen politics, announced the release of more funds for the Maryhood Girls Secondary School in the area to speed up its completion.
In his welcome address, Chairman of Rivers State Elders Forum, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, explained that the grand reception was significant to them as a people.
He said it was the kind of reception organised for prominent sons and friends, who had impacted the Kalabari people.
Anabraba noted that Wike had systematically fulfilled all promises made to them including those of developmental projects and appointment of Kalabari people into his administration.
He listed some of the projects completed or ongoing to include the phase 1 of Trans -Kalabari Road project other administrations promised but failed to execute for over 17 years, the rehabilitation and equipping of zonal and general hospitals, secondary schools, Abonnema Ring road, sandfilling in Obonoma, Abonnema, Bakana and Oboama, Abalama communities.
Also speaking, the former Vice- Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Nimi Briggs said that Kalabari people had enthusiastically contributed to the growth and development of Rivers State and Nigeria.
“It follows, therefore, that it is appropriate, and should be considered the right thing for the Kalabari people to expect return for the dues that they had paid”, he said.
