#I #LIKE #BARRISTER #NYESOM #EZENWO #WIKE.. #BUT I #THINK #HE #HAS #CROSSED #THE #LINE..!
How many Nigerians watched Former Governor Nyesom Wike on the Prime Program of Channels TV Politics Today With Ace Presenter Seun Okinbaloye yesterday, the 8th of October, 2024?
This one makes it the second appearance in less than one month , to talk about what FCT? Where he is the Minister? Hell No!
Rather His Excellency, Barrister Nyesom Wike, former Governor of Rivers State and serving Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory {FCT} came on National Television to talk about the tension in his home state of Rivers State where he had immersed himself deeply in controversial circumstances that have proved to any rational mind what is his first object of interest and that is now veritably constituting a major distraction to the serious job and the expected seriousness of superintending over the affairs of the Federal Capital Territory.
From this second appearance on this same program, same station and not mentioning others outside of this, it is more than clear to any right thinking person that Rivers State matter is more on the plate of Minister Nyesom Wike than the job that this President has given him .
I write this long epistle today because H.E Barrister Wike cannot be running this nation around his fingers, selling us dummy as a nation, and trying so hard to hoodwink discerning people, thinking that we are stupid, and because of his bravado, to assume that Nigerians are brainless or brain dead Egyptian mummies or the fabled ghosts on sugar cane farm in Haiti.. Hell no. The appearances on the stations give him away every time !
Without doubt Mr Nyesom Wike is grossly distracted and under his watch, as a resident of FCT, I am not sure that we are getting his fullest attention as the Honourable Minister in a capital city with many aspiration yet unmet under this Minister’s watch, maybe if we have his fullest concentration he may have been able to do more than he is doing in the capital city.
Today all over the place Barrister Nyesom Wike is all over the place for everything not too right about Rivers State, and not so much about FCT at least in recent times.
I am constrained to write this for a number of reasons and they include the following:
First I owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR everything to make him succeed and anything or anyone that runs contrary to this , i certainly will speak up, that I owe the President who I believe I have associated closely with over the past 27 years as one of his foot soldiers during our long days and dreary nights as politicians in opposition with today’s President Tinubu as our Grand commander and i believe these day precedes when the Minister came on the scene.
If Asiwaju Bola Tinubu fails or his administration suffers continued setbacks in public perception on the back of the actions of any of his Ministers, who may be distracted by local politics, it’s Asiwaju that will be blamed and by extension, his administration, it will be said that the buck stops on his table and things happened under his watch.
As Yorubas will say, “Isu Eni Lon Towo Eni Bo Epo” i.e it’s the piece of cooked yam in your hand that will accentuate your hand getting stained with red oil”.
If I may sound a bit provincial, it’s a south west man in power , I do not think I will want anyone to “stain our time in power” with needless crisis that will attract and cause public disaffection for Mr President, the administration and party, that we would have to deal with.
We hear all that people now say about President Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, now that he is out of power, well I do not want such to be what will be said about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu GCFR, when he leaves power, I have duty to speak up if i sense and see similar things showing up, it usually starts in piecemeal, so i must speak not only as as a Nigerian but someone who is conscious of the verdict of posterity on when another man of Southwest extraction is in power.
For God’s sake, well more appropriately for Nigeria and Nigerians sake , WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF BARRISTER NYESOM WIKE IN THE RIVERS CRISIS TO THE ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED ADMINISTRATION? NOW AND IN FUTURE?
PRESENTLY THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU IS DEALING WITH A LOT AND NEEDS NO ADDED CRISIS, AND IF ITS ABOUT THE FUTURE, IT IS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF ANY MAN!
WHAT TANGIBLE VALUE DOES ALL THESE FIERY DART STATEMENTS FIRED REGULARLY FROM THE FCT MINISTER’s TABLE TO RIVERS STATE GOT TO BENEFIT PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU’s IMAGE OR GOVERNMENT?
HOW DOES ALL THESE CRISIS IN RIVERS STATE BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF FCT?
WILL ALL THESE ENDEAR PEOPLE TO PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU? OUR PARTY OR THE GOVERNMENT OF ASIWAJU?
So who will tell me that the Honourable Minister is winning laurels for this Government and Mr President by regular appearances on National Television to do formal rebuttals not on the matters that has to do with his PRIMARY DUTY AS THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF THE FCT BUT INVOLVING HIMSELF IN CRISIS IN RIVERS STATE?
Fellow Nigerians did you really watch Barrister Wike on Seun Okinbaloye’s Politics Today Programme yesterday?
So who would think that appearance makes any sense to any right thinking person?
I was thinking this was the Honourable Minister of FCT on TV, well in body, Yes, but in Spirit was a man who had assumed the role and duty of Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
For the greater part of the interview, it was just about court orders and how theymust be obeyed by Governor Fubara!
Not one sentence in that 60 minutes Programme was on the Federal Capital Territory!
It was about why court orders must be obeyed by Governor of Rivers State.! Haba!!
So all these crisis brewing when Mr President is out of the country on a working leave ? and if Asiwaju says he is on working leave, those who know him as little as I do for about 27 years will know that Asiwaju is NOT ON LEAVE BUT WORKING HIS FINGERS TO BONES, I know this because I know him.
Asiwaju is a tireless worker, and as I have said before, Asiwaju that I know is a conscionable leader who hates to see people particularly the less privileged suffer.
He has demonstrated that beyond doubts with his own personal resources even before he became Senator, Governor and after he left power and so it is not now that he would take delight in seeing Nigerians in pains. I know that. What then will be the essence of all those giddy life threatening moments in opposition.
We must justify our hard fought battle to this day which he led, by way of making this government work for Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu, entertaining the crisis in Rivers State regardless of who is involved and place in government cannot find accommodation within that purpose defined vision of Asiwaju for Nigeria.
I am sure there is a lot of work going on from the backend and my prayer is that this hard work be blessed as intended so that Nigerians will get the best deal out of all the efforts of this President.
But while all these efforts are going on, does the appearances of Barrister Nyesom Wike on National Television yesterday seem to reflect the mood of Mr President and a sensitivity to the plight of Nigerians?
Who does this unnecessary dog fight help? Is this good optics for our President, and the administration? And Of course our party ? I doubt it.
That three Local Government Council headquarters will be razed down by persons said to be in the camp of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory as captured on National Television, and the Minister shows up on TV two days after grandstanding about the need for obedience of court orders and literally was forced to condemn the arson perpetrated to public properties in his home state! Common people !!
The program anchor literally had to force the extraction of a weak condemnation of all that happened in Rivers State from the Minister. He went on and about it with repartee answer to that simple public safety nudge by the presenter of the program.
To think again that all these happened and is happening while Mr President who hired Barrister Nyesom Wike for a serious job is out of the country, so how can all these tension brewing in Rivers State make Mr President happy in his absence o? It’s the height of insensitivity on the part of a Minister of his standing in this administration.
Yes that’s what it amounts to.
What if the brewing crisis and tension in that part of the country snowballs and Rivers State reverts back to the days of “Bloody Rivers” or “Rivers of Blood “ leading to anarchy, and the “boys”return to the creeks attacking national assets in the oil rich state, and we start to bleed economically, on the account of the insensitive, incendiary, insidious and instigating statements and body language of a prominent personality like the cabinet Minister , will the administration of President Bola Tinubu not be further stretched to the limits on the account of that crisis?
The Presenter asked the Minister publicly, Are you able to condemn those who perpetrated the violence?
Honourable Minister Wike ducked and refused to frontally in unmistakable terms condemn that crisis in the much needed strong terms.
Rather he could not have a word for his supporters who were out there chanting “NO WIKE NO RIVERS” fingered in all the crisis.
Meanwhile he was able to say he had engaged his lawyers to “STOP THE PANEL OF ENQUIRY SET UP BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT ON THE CRISIS “ !
Haba Honourable Minister Sir, should that be the first issue of interest compared with soliciting for peace and calming your supporters down ? With due respect Sir, a lot is tied to getting this government to earn the goodwill of Nigerians and that will remain a challenge with your disposition as expressed on that national television program.
Sir, You literally refused to douse tension rather putting more inflammable statements
I think the appearance of Barrister Nyesom Wike on the programme yesterday smells of more sinister plans and of course I will not excuse the desire to fuel the crisis to a point where there will be recourse to a non democratic intervention going by all that was said and further amplified by his body language that spoke louder than the words out of his mouth.
For me, I think we don’t have a need for any crisis anywhere in this country at this time when the People are looking forward to continued peace and prosperity and any action that is antithetical to that from whoever in whatever capacity must be condemned by all well meaning people.
We cannot all be browbeaten and tongue tied about the implications of this, only recently, the Minister at one of his meetings with his supporters declared gleefully that he has the capacity “TO PUT FIRE IN ANY STATE” so when you put fire , that will help our economy and economic realities? Should this be the mindset of a man who is entrusted with so much?
This President and the administration does not need this level of distraction from anyone no matter how highly placed because the blames will be pushed to the President.
Nobody must be allowed through poor understanding of where we are and through his actions spread undeserved tar on the hardwork of this President to give us a better nation.
MY LIFE LONG DALLIANCE WITH RIVERS STATE.
I like many other compatriots have watched how the state of anarchy is being instigated in Rivers State, a State of one of the most pleasant people in Nigeria.
I love Rivers State and her people with so much of affection,not just because I have had reasons to live in Portharcourt,the garden city in the past, when my maternal Uncle,Thomas Ibitimi Iti, mni, was the Secretary to the State Government [SSG] of the then Rivers State before Bayelsa was taken out.
Later in my adult life my first University love was the daughter of the then Aide De Camp [ADC] to the then Governor Fidelis Oyakhilome.
I have so many soothing memories of Rivers State,our boyish moments on Tombia Street, our night grooves at the beautiful clubs and hotels in GRA Portharcourt, particularly the one that used to be owned by Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas.
I also remember our time as Yoruba people in Portharcourt, when I think Group Captain Adeleye from Igede Ekiti was the Military Administrator.
Rivers State people are incredibly warm and receptive, they took us Yorubas like brothers and not once did i notice segregation or discrimination.
We rolled together, Portharcourt was another melting pot, very welcoming to all.
Portharcourt was a calm and cool place to chill, I am saying good chilling , from great people to fantastic fresh food, sea food , fresh leafy green vegetables and of course nice drinks reserved for connoisseurs only , and not forgetting the super delectably pretty consorts.
Oh PH as we used to call Portharcourt was the place to be.
These are some of my fondest and best memories of the good times that I have had in my life.
I remember when I would go to a company called Stretch Fibre, where my Uncle used to work as the accountant, this was in the days of Trans Amadi Industrial Estate, when Rivers State had not only the oil majors , the oil service companies and other companies in their numbers in the Trans Amadi Insustrial layout, all of that is largely gone today, and so are livelihoods of many.
If the restoration of this vast economic hub is the basis of this renewed dogfight in Rivers State, one may be tempted to take a second look, but unfortunately it’s not, rather it is cheap power drag!
Sad spectacle indeed.
Much later and more recently in life, I have mingled with many Rivers State people and I have fondest memories of our association, either when I was in the parliament or outside I have kept and cherished my love for Rivers people
Without doubt, Rivers State holds a special place in my heart and that’s an enduring affection and the guarantee of my evergreen affectation, care and concern for this lovely state, and her great people.
As a result of the combined good times and encounters with Rivers State people, it will be very difficult for me to just watch my beloved people and place go to ruins on the account of inordinate mundane power tussle, ephemeral and inordinate power show that has everything in its matrix but the real care and concern for the people and development of the good people of Rivers State.
No doubts before now, Rivers State had always been a state of interest, relevance and concern politically for a number of reasons all centred around control, dominance, access to unbridled authority on the account of the accessible wealth of this hugely wealthy and influential State, without doubt outside of Lagos and Maybe Kano, no other State in Nigeria attracts this kind of interest, such as Rivers State.
What Rivers State lacks in real population, it has made up for in economic reality.
In modern history of Rivers State, Starting from the sweetly mercurial Governor Dr. Peter Odili, that we used to affectionately refer to as “Peter dey Pay” between {1999-2007} on the account of his legendary generosity of spirit, through to the sometimes shy but could be rambunctious Governor Rotimi Amaechi , to the incomparably daring and ferocious Governor Nyesom Wike and now to the visibly calm and cool If not reticent Governor Similaye Fubara, all of them have at one time or the other been in and through tempestuous moments.
The only Governor in Rivers State history that time did not allow us to really witness his tenure is the short lived administration of Governor Celestine Omenhia.
Needless to say the tidal wave of Rivers State Politics still swept him away.
From afar all the men who eventually became the Governors of Rivers State were “ordinary men and mere mortals “ until they became Governors and as usual the real personalities began to unfold with raw power , political and financial.
Interestingly, these men can be divided into two broad categories, the gentle and seemingly easy going and the opposite.
The first category will effectively have the likes of Governor Peter Odili , Similaye Fubara and Celestine Omenhia, men who visibly have calm mien and comportment, while the opposite category will have the two former political associates and friends , the duo of Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
Say what anybody may or will, these men are men of full dosage of courage and grit, they both have remarkably risen up to occasions when and where it demanded courage in their political journeys.
Both have manifested uncommon conviction in the advancement of and about whatever they are believe in and will serve their interests and not surprisingly this rare attribute has brought them in collision course,Amaechi with President Goodluck Jonathan, Wike with Mohammadu Buhari.
What cannot be denied also are the realities of their emergence on to the political scene in their State.
So their latter day invincibility does not exist in real terms because they are not “self made” men, somebody had been there for them at one point or the other in their political career , so the knowledge and acceptance of this reality should be humbling in perpetuity for not only all men but Barrister Nyesom Wike in particular at a time like this and in the light of the unfolding scenario in the erstwhile beautiful state of Rivers.
I have followed Barrister Nyesom Wike for a bit, I have met him a number of times when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on MDGs and I have always admired him for being a man of steely character.
I like his sense of humor and though sometimes brash and abrasive but he still could cut the impression of a jolly good fellow but the unfolding scenario has eroded my likeness for his person greatly.
In two instances he had assisted me , first, when I wanted my niece to be considered for admission into Queens College, and because of the restrictions, my niece was going to be edged out even after she scored good enough marks , I went to Barrister Nyesom Wike then as Hon. Minister of State for Education, he intervened and my niece got a placement.
The second time was when one of my constituents was looking for a job in one of the Unity Schools, a man who studied Mathematics was about to be dropped for someone who did religious studies, I went with that constituent of mine to him and he assisted.
I will forever be grateful for these interventions but today I believe a lot more is at stake , from the well being and wellness of our nation and people to the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and peace in Rivers State, a state and people that I love dearly, I believe all well meaning Nigerians should not just sit idly by and watch as a part of our nation, an important and crucial one at that is about to be engulfed in crisis that we may not be able to tell when and how it will end.
If what is going on in Rivers State gets out of hand, on the account of the intransigence of both warring parties in what is fast turning an intercine strife that obviously will delay or compromise the well being and development in that State, then we must begin to speak up
Just like Hon Minister Wike is, when I disagree with someone or something , particularly if a lot is at stake as it is now , I cannot afford to keep quiet.
This is the reason why I am putting up this post with a view to appealing to the Honorable Minister of FCT to know that God has been more than gracious to him, a man of my age bracket who has been in the cozy warm embrace of fate that has brought him fame and fortune should show some magnanimity in awareness of the opportunities that life has showered on him.
From the humble background as a relatively unknown lawyer, to Local Government Council Chairman, to Chief of Staff to a Governor, then Honorable Minister of State for Education, from where he got pole vaulted to become two time Governor and then back as Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory [FCT], destiny could not have been kinder. Many would have lived the rest of their lives grateful to their gratuitous “Chi” and quietly recede into the evening of their lives.
For someone with this beautiful trajectory, and one who God had used to make another a Governor, I believe that he should be fulfilled if he looks back on his life.
The grace of God that Barrister Nyesom Wike had enjoyed may not be fully appreciated if one decides to look at all that is going on today, regardless of wether Governor Similaye Fubara has been ungrateful or not, God and fate has been kind enough to former Governor Wike.
Sir how does it make you feel as a former Local Government Chairman to see the Local Government Headquarters built with limited public resources in Ikwere, Eleme and Enuoha razed down by persons identified to be your Sympathisers, in a State from where you started, risen and attained the fortune and fame that you have today?
For all that you have been, I am not sure you need any crisis that is traceable to your name in any way, if you are still involved in “dogfight” for “political structure” at this point, or leadership, it will be a case of under valued appreciation of the grace that you have enjoyed in life.
Many of your age and career path have not been so lucky and blessed.
You are relevant by reason of the position you hold presently and that is a veritable platform to continue to be relevant to the people of Rivers State in developmental terms and not just for political braggadocio.
Your time and place in the modern history of Rivers State cannot be swept away by any tide be it betrayal or insensitivity from anyone , that is if that is your reading or comprehension of the unfolding spectacle be rest assured if it is, Karma never takes a nap not to talk of going into deep slumber.
But remember as the Hausas will say “sarki gomma, zammane gomma”, meaning ten kings, ten seasons, and all actors will have to quit the stage and yield space to another. It’s the reality of life, no permanent champion!
I will therefore suggest that you consolidate on your goodwill even with the high position of relevance that you occupy today and play the matured leader by letting things go as His divine will in the consciousness of the need to give your fullest attention to the success of the present administration and the President who appointed you, without which you may not be able to fuel this dogfight, but above all and most importantly my beloved people of Rivers
State.
Leadership is not a one -off responsibility, it is life long commitment accentuated by the pursuit of corporate goodness, and consciously letting go of self for all.
#Congressman #Bimbo #Daramola
9th October, 2024
– A lover of Nigeria’s Well being and Wellness, in the order of Biblical Injunction that we seek the peace of Jerusalem, i.e {Nigeria} for those who love thee shall prosper}
– A Stakeholder In The Desire For The Success of President Bola Tinubu GCFR and his administration
– A passionate lover of Rivers State and her Peace loving People.