BEVERLY HILLS, September 21, (THEWILL) – The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has described as wild allegation, the claim by the Federal Government that members of opposition are those sponsoring activities of the now proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
He stated that it was not only divisive for the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to wrongly accuse opposition figures of sponsoring IPOB, but was capable of throwing the country into chaos.
The minister had at a news conference in Lagos on Sunday alleged that “politically disgruntled” and “treasury looters” were sponsoring IPOB, whose agitations for independence had become a thorny issue in the Nigerian polity.
He said the intention of the sponsors was to divert attention from the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and obliterate its laudable achievements.
“They believe that by sponsoring this group to destabilise the country and trigger chaos, they will realise their ambition of escaping justice and then be free to dip their hands into the nation’s treasury again.
“The signs are very clear; the activities of IPOB became heightened with the advent of this administration, and have been unrelenting since then. If this is coincidental, then that coincidence is uncanny, at the least,” Mohammed alleged.
Reacting while declaring open the 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference, ANEC, of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, in Port Harcourt, Wike pointed out that by his utterances, Mohammed implied that it was the then opposition which sponsored Boko Haram operations during the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
He warned Mohammed to stop stoking the embers of disharmony and divisions in the polity with his irresponsible utterances and wild allegations against members of opposition political parties.
According to him, “Nigerians of goodwill must therefore urge leadership of the country to stop fanning the embers of disharmony and division in the polity with its irresponsible utterances and wild allegations against members of the opposition political party, to the fact saying that opposition is the one sponsoring IPOB.
“Then you see; who are those being affected by the activities of IPOB? Are they not those in the opposition states? In the hey days of Boko Haram, does IG mean it was the opposition then that was sponsoring Boko Haram just to distract the government then?” he asked.
The governor further stated that it will be dangerous for the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria if the clamour for political restructuring, fiscal federalism, state police, guarantee for free and fair election are ignored.
“Today, the clamour for political restructuring, fiscal federalism, state police, guarantee for free and fair election have never been this determined across the country and will never go away. It is becoming clearer by the day that to ignore these calls is potentially dangerous to the unity and peaceful coexistence of this country,” he said.
Stressing that Nigeria is currently in crisis as a result of poor governance, nepotism and marginalization, he stated that the country needs forthright leadership and consensus building to steer the ship of state from the wrong direction it is heading to safer group.
Wike said, “Acts of impunity, political intimidation, election rigging and abuse of power are wrongs not only against Rivers State, but they are wrongs against the entire country. We are only pretending when we feel that all us well with the country.
“The country is in crisis because of poor governance, nepotism, marginalization and state-sponsored repression continues to bring violence to national unity and cohesion. At times like this, the country needs forthright leadership and consensus building to steer the ship of state from the wrong direction it is heading to safer group.”
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