The race to occupy the Rivers Government House has become very clear. Even doubting Thomases now accept the obvious fact. The race is between Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and others. Even though, the real “others” are yet to be known, the critical issues surrounding the forthcoming general elections are public knowledge.
From the very beginning, all the forces of stagnation, be they in PDP or in the opposition APC, have had only one weapon –political rumour. They use political rumour in their gang up clubs as a weapon of blackmail premised on lies and fairy tales, with everyone of them shying away from the real issues of development and the need to deliver to the people of Rivers State.
The truth on ground has been exposed and the fear amongst this bi-partisan gang against Wike is palpable. It goes without saying that Barrister Wike is the preferred choice of Rivers people. He is the aspirant directly drafted into the race by Rivers people on their own volition. He is the icon of state unity and the premise upon which the riverine and upland dichotomy has been buried for the good of the state and ethnicity will henceforth play second fiddle.
The only thing some Nigerian sponsored commentators dish to the public is just the politically based information from the opposition political party in Rivers State. These commentators work day and night to shield Nigerians from the positive antecedents of the man who is one of the most potent forces in Nigeria’s political landscape today.
Without fear of contradiction, Barrister Wike is a politician cum administrator with a high class pedigree under his belt. Since 1999, he has played critical roles in the advancement of democracy, development and human capital development in Rivers State and Nigeria. He has deliberately carved a night for himself as a political emancipator and an accomplished performer. The records will now speak for themselves.
He served as a two-term chairman of one of the most populous local councils in Nigeria, Obio/Akpor LGA. Till date, no past or present local council chairman in Rivers State has surpassed his achievements. As local council chairman, he was into road construction, construction of health facilities, high class rural development, empowerment of widows and youths and enhanced revenue generation. Under his watch, the landmark Obio/Akpor Council secretariat was constructed.
From Obio/Akpor LGA, Barrister Wike took up the integrity role to salvage Governor Amaechi’s mandate. I call it an integrity role because Governor Amaechi took refuge in Ghana whilst Wike led the struggle at home. If he was not a man of immense integrity, he would have buckled under the pressure of former President Obasanjo and others who attempted to compromise him. However, he invested personal resources, skills and requisite social engineering techniques to ensure that Governor Amaechi got his mandate. Fast track to 2011, Barrister Wike again led the team that ensured the re-election of Governor Amaechi. No other person could do the job.
Between 2007 and 2011, Barrister Wike served as the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. This turned out to be the most productive years of the outgoing administration. The few achievements being brandished were recorded during this period. The second term has proved to be a colossal disaster. The administration recorded successes during this period because Wike served as coordinator, stabilizer, mobilizer and the only human face in government. He built a bridge upon which development programmes revolved and were executed. Since he left the government, every pillar has fallen. The administrator lost its coordinator and has since been wandering in the wilderness. Anyone who visits Port Harcourt and the rural communities will understand why all Rivers people, irrespective of ethnicity or locations insist that it must be Wike.
For Nigeria, Wike’s sojourn at the Federal Ministry of Education has proved to be a monumental blessing. The worst critics of the Jonathan administration agree, though grudgingly, that enormous progress has been made in the Education sector. For the over three years that Wike served in this Ministry, two and years were served as Minister of State for Education, while for 10 months he served as Supervising Minister of Education. These were glorious years.
Under Wike’s watch, moribund 104 Federal Unity Colleges were brought to life. He introduced phasal rehabilitation of the schools, which saw over 60 percent of these renovated with improved classrooms, laboratories, hostels and teaching facilities. These unity colleges under Wike also had the Federal Government regularise the appointment of 1300 casual teachers who were teaching on N15000 PTA wage. Seventy two of these schools had new electronic libraries constructed for them, while their teachers under-went trainings they were denied for years.
The flagship Almajiri Education Programme was driven by BarristerWike on behalf of President Jonathan. As the Minister who supervised basic education, Wike gave life to this dream and delivered over 125 of these schools before leaving office on October 20, 2014. Nigerians will recall that he traversed all states to personal supervise these projects. He ensured that there was no abandoned project anywhere in the country.
For the girl-child, Barrister Wike facilitated the All Girls Schools Initiative of President Jonathan, delivering girl-child schools in 16 states of the Federation. These schools were initiated to break down the barriers of culture, religion and social factors that deny our children education. The schools are already in existence.
It was Barrister Wike that promoted the Special Vocational Education Schools in the South-East and South-South zones of Nigeria which led to the construction of schools that will empower the less privileged boy-child in these zones with relevant skills to survive and eke out a living. These schools are nearing completion in the respective states.
In the course of Wike’s service at the Federal Ministry of Education, he facilitated the training of about 2million teachers and basic education administrators. He personally monitored this programme across the country. He entrenched a culture of service in the workers and ensured that they worked for Nigerians.
As Supervising Minister of Education, Barrister Wike resolved the lingering inherited ASUU strike and worked with the union leaders to create a N1.3trillion intervention fund for the development of university education in the country. With the expected careful implementation of this programme, Nigerian universities will grow in leap and bounds.
Wike re-defined TETFUND’s project execution profile and introduced high level accountability programme for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria as they were called upon to account for resources in their care. This programme took Wike to all the six geo-political zones where vice chancellors, rectors and provosts of Federal Tertiary institutions faced journalists, civil society groups and students to explain their use of government funds.
He directly facilitated the use of High Impact Funds to develop public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. This period witnessed increased construction and equipping of laboratories, classrooms, libraries and internet facilities in public tertiary institutions. Fifty one State and Federal Polytechnics were positively rehabilitated for the development of technical education in the country.
On the issue of the creation of access to tertiary education, Barrister Wike as supervising Minister of Education facilitated the establishment of four Federal Polytechnics in Ondo, Edo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States. He laid the foundation of these institutions and ensured that each of them had N1billion take off grant. Recall that he had worked with the former Minister of Education to set up 12 new Federal Universities.
The developmental antecedents of Barrister Wike are verifiable. These are hard facts known to all leaders in Rivers State and beyond. These are the reasons why nobody can accuse him of non-performance. These are the reasons why his opponents only rely on political rumour. These are the reasons why his opponents dread to contest against him.
Of course, these are the reasons why Wike will win the Rivers State Governorship election. The leaders and the ordinary people of Rivers State have queued behind him to change the fortunes of the state and deliver development to him. He stood with them when the outgoing administration attempted to enslave the people. Now, the people are standing with him to revive a state with huge that has been crippled by poor governance structure.
Simeon Nwakaudu, is the Special Assistant (Media) to Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Governorship Aspirant, Rivers State.
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