Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to act on the call for the country’s restructuring and ensure the practice of fiscal federalism to douse brewing tension in the country.
Speaking yesterday as a guest on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, Wike, said stakeholders in the South-South and other geopolitical zones that met with the delegation led by Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, have expressed their grievances, which must be genuinely addressed. Wike noted that stakeholders in the South-South, on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, ventilated their expectations, and what was now required is political leadership and will by the President to implement the demands.
Wike acknowledged that some of the demands of the South-South zone required constitutional amendment, and implored the President that whenever the National Assembly carries out constitutional amendment as it concerns restructuring, true federalism and resource control, he should not refuse to assent to it.
He said: “President Buhari has an opportunity today that Nigerians are saying these are the things we want; these are the things we think can move Nigeria forward. And you have to show leadership by saying, I have listened to you and these are things we can implement. “You may not necessarily implement everything that the people are talking about or people may want. But let people say that under President Buhari, he has been able to implement one, two, three and four demands by the people.
“But, if he does not take this opportunity now, and does not implement some of these requests, I don’t think it will be very good for Nigeria and for his legacy. I don’t think that will mean well.” The governor stated that despite reservation in some quarters about the readiness of the Federal Government to address issues raised, Buhari needed to address the nagging is-sues militating against the stability of the country. “If the president does not do, given the opportunity he has now, then, he will put Nigeria on fire.”
“But, again, if constitutional amendment is being made and the President vetoes or says no, he will not sign it like it has happened under the Electoral Act, then it will become a problem for Nigerians.” He dismissed insinuation by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, that National Assembly members and ministers from the zone were not consulted before Tuesday’s meeting with the presidential delegation. “We are playing politics with issues that concerns Nigerians; issues that concern the region.
I don’t need to be told; assuming I am a legislator, and something like this happens, I will rush back to the state to meet the governor; to meet the stakeholders and say ‘what do we do’? “You don’t need to wait for the governor to call you. It is your own responsibility as representative of the people. You heard that your state has been burnt down for example; you don’t expect somebody who is bereaved to begin to call, to say I am bereaved.”
He described as regrettable the absence of the Minister of Transportation, who arrived the Government House, Port Harcourt, with the Chief of Staff for the crucial stakeholders meeting on Tuesday, but failed to participate in the event for inexplicable reasons. “When I told the Chief of Staff, where is my own Minister? He was also shocked, because he knew that the Minister was at the airport with them.”
Wike said President Buhari has done the needful by appointing people to manage the affairs of NDDC for the interest of the region. But, regrettably, those appointed are politicians who have refused to work with PDP governors in the region. He accused the NDDC of pervasive corruption to the extent of claiming projects done by Rivers State government, as its own. “Rivers State Government went to court and challenged NDDC that you cannot do what you are doing without consultation, without approval of the State Government. And the court agreed with the Rivers State government that you are right.
NDDC, you cannot do what you are doing. You are distorting the physical development of the state.” The governor lamented the continuous politicisation of security in the country to the extent that this has prevented the take-off operations of the State Neighbourhood Safety Corps. He accused the Nigerian Army, which ironically, has given tactical support to similar outfits in APC controlled states like Lagos and Kogi, of preventing the State Safety Corps to operate, despite legislative backing.
Credit: New Telegraph