*Mocks Minister: “I Won You in 2015, I Won You In 2019…”
By Hamilton Nwosa(Head, The New Diplomat’s Business and data tracking desk)
Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has warned that he doesn’t take directives or orders from President Muhammadu Buhari on how to run the affairs of Rivers State especially at this time of crisis occasioned by the deadly covid-19 pandemic.
Governor Wike who was furious about continuous flights flying into Rivers State despite the State government’s directive on lock-down in a bid to protect the lives of citizens in the State warned that the state government is prepared to fight to protect its people from being endangered by oil companies operating in the State as well as expatriates flying into the state.
The governor who explained that his position is premised on the fact that Nigeria is a federation and not a military government-led country where people sit in Abuja and give orders. “ We are not in a military government where you sit down in your office and direct,” he queried
He said: “Nobody can use Rivers state as a toy, If you don’t like me, that will encourage me to like myself. Even my father has never given directive but calls me and has a dialogue for a way out, but you that is not my father will issue directive so you can kill Rivers people.
“I won you in 2015, I won you in 2019, have I not won, not one project in Rivers but you stay in Abuja and give me directives I will not agree. We are in a federal system, but governors have been reduced as beggars.
“We are not in a military government where you will sit down in your office and direct me. I’m not one of those governors that will come to Abuja to ask for help, so don’t issue me a directive when you were elected like me.
“As a governor, the right thing must be done so people must not die. Is there any oil company operating in America, it’s only here in Nigeria. I’m a boy to Rivers people, not anybody outside this state. The other time it was Caverton, now it’s ExxonMobil. The lockdown is not for the poor alone; it includes everybody. They are lucky Caverton apologized, the MD sent me an apology text that evening from America for us to release their pilots and comply with the rules.”
According to the governor, he would only receive instructions from the Presidency unless there is a dialogue or meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to apprise him of the situation, stressing that he is not one of the ‘Beggar governors’ who frequent Abuja, cap in hand, to beg for hand-outs for their states.
Governor Wike who was speaking at a press briefing on Friday, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital emphasized that his state does not have a staggering sum of N10bn to create isolation centres to treat Rivers people, hence his decision to fight against any plan or moves to infect peoples living the state with the deadly virus.
He explained: “Is this lockdown only for the poor? It’s unfortunate for someone to go against the lockdown rules of the government at this time. Akara sellers in Lagos trying to make daily income are chased out of the street and carried to court, but they said we should leave oil companies and allow them to operate and fly.
“As long as they do not enter my territory, I have no problem because we will fight, if we don’t fight, we cannot survive. I don’t take orders from Abuja but Rivers people. If they want to work with me they should come, I will not go and beg them. If they want war, we will fight, but I will make sure my people are protected from coronavirus.
“My people wouldn’t die. I’m not against the federal government, what are we fighting for, but I will do what is right if you want me to work with you, talk with me and don’t give me a directive.”
Recall that Wike has been having running battle with former governor of Rivers state, Rt Hon Rotimi Ameachi, who is currently Minister of Transportation. Wike who trounced Amaechi’s governorship candidate to clinch the governorship position in 2015 repeated the same feat in 2019 with crushing defeat for Amaechi’s candidate of the African Action Congress(AAC).
Recall also that in that defining election, Amaechi lost his own local government area ( Ikwerre) to Wike. While Wike polled 14,938 votes, the AAC candidate, Awara Biokpomabo, polled 5,660 votes in Ikwerre. It would be recalled that on the eve of the March 9, 2019 governorship election, Amaechi had directed all his supporters to vote for Biokpomabo. But at th end of the election, Biokpomabo lost woefully. Surprisingly, he could not win a single local government in the election. Wike cleared all the LGAs including Port-Harcourt which he won with 40, 197 massive votes while Biokpomabo got 11, 866 votes.
In apparent reference to his 2015 and 2019 victory, Wike boasted in deriding narrative: “I won you in 2015, I won you in 2019, have I not won, not one project in Rivers but you stay in Abuja and give me directives”
