~ Engr. Kingston Sylvanus, MNSE, Leader, Andoni Sim Political FamilyIn 2013, Barr. Ezewon Nyesom Wike had every opportunity to impeach the then Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi but refused to do so.
Though a Minister of State for Education, all the violence – controlling structures were placed at Barr. Wike’s disposal, but he refused to act. Importantly, Wike had the support of the then First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, and the then Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu. Nyesom Wike could have easily knocked off Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, but decided not to.
The very pertinent question that must be asked is why???
Nyesom Wike thought that he and His Excellency, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi could fool Rivers people with their stage-managed hostility. Knowing too well that two Ikwerre men succeeding each other as governors would definitely raise hell. In order to avert this, they contrived their banality.
But Rivers people saw through their game even as the people of Rivers were fully aware that Nyesom Wike had no intention of impeaching Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, as that would pave the way for the then Gov Amaechi’s Deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, to emerge the governor.
Engr. Tele Ikuru is not an Ikwerre man. Allowing Engr. Tele Ikuru to succeed Amaechi would have shifted the balance of weakness in favor of the riverines.
The Ikwerre agenda made Gov. Amaechi’s impeachment unpalatable, and that option was abandoned.
Thus, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi completed his second tenure in peace and conveniently handed over to Gov. Wike, another Ikwerre man.
Gov. Wike enjoyed the undiluted support of the riverine – Rivers people in his eight years in office. Even when Gov. Rotimi Amaechi wanted to have his pound of flesh during Gov. Wike’s 2nd tenure election, it was still the riverine – Rivers people to rally round him. Indeed, it took the efforts and intervention of Ogu/Bolo and Okrika women to ensure Wike’s votes were protected and not tampered with by anti democratic forces, hence ensuring Gov Wike’s victory.
Barr. Nyesom Wike’s present gambit to make another Ikwerre man, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, a governor by impeaching the current Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Sir. Dr. Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, must be seen within the context of the Grand Ikwerre Agenda.
Wike’s overtures to non-Ikwerres to join him in his obtuse quest should be discountenanced given his serial duplicity. His attempt to polarise the ethnic groups of Rivers with a view to making unity of purpose impossible has also failed. For indeed, Rivers people are united for Gov. Sim Fubara.
Wike’s vague assurances must be weighed against self-standing facts that define his dark character.
Let’s engage, for instance, Wike’s assurance to the Orashi Bloc, that their daughter and current Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Her Excellency, Prof. Nma Odu would become governor upon the impeachment of her principal.
The bitter truth is that Prof. Odu would definitely be hounded out of office the very day Wike’s antics succeeds in their attempt to impeach Gov. Fubara.
That will be a huge minus for the Orashi Bloc as Prof. Odu will never be allowed to pilot the affairs of Rivers State, even for one second. Rather, that the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simon Amadi, equally an Ikwerre Son, would then pronounce the Rt. Hon Amaewhule as the Governor of Rivers State.
In sane societies, Rt. Hon. Amaewhule should have been in prison for perjury, which desecrated the temple of justice . A deep character will resist being used to destabilize the government and the peace of Rivers State.
This back door approach is strange and detestable to Rivers people who, of course, are ready to resist Nyesom Wike’s antics.
Former Governor Wike is prepared to burn down the roof over everyone’s head if that is what it takes to maintain the Ikwerre hegemony.
Nyesom Wike belated lamentation over the Ogoni’s marginalization is strongly hypocritical as Wike’s stiffly refusal to make the Ogonis, a Deputy Governor, Chief Judge or indeed a Speaker. Is it now that Barr. Nyesom Wike, who is obviously without any executive powers, be able to place these ethnic positions in the aforementioned ethnic groups?
Nyesom Wike’s purported love for the Ogonis is suspicious, as he only remembered them after his proverbial party was over. Let Nyesom Wike reel out the names of young Ogonis who he had made men in the FCT, where Wike is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).
Indeed, what becomes of the aspirations of the Ogonis, Kalabaris, Etches, and the Orashi people in becoming Executive Governor of Rivers State?
If Nyesom Wike is allowed to hatch this inordinate ambition of installing another Ikwerre man as Executive Governor, then this will total the number of years that an Ikwerre man has ruled the State to 24 years! If that is the case, then Rivers State may as well cease to exist. Such imagination is terribly gory, and as such, Rivers people must bail the rapidly rising water.
The planned mpeachment of Gov. Sim Fubara, GSSRS, will not be a victory for the Kalabari, Ogoni, Orashi, Etche, and Ekpeye people. No, never. Instead, that imagined impeachment will only serve the interests of a few Ikwerre hegemons. Such ghastly prospects must never happen because it will spell doom and gloom for the perpetrators.
This Wike’s Ikwerre agenda is exclusively his as I know very personally, many great leaders, chiefs, politicians, friends, and women from the Ikwerre ethnic nationality who are die-hard supporters of Gov. Sim Fubara.
These bred of the Ikwerre extraction strongly stand for equity, fairness, and justice.
I hereby reach out to these set of Ikwerre persons to help call their son, Nyesom Wike, to order. Hopefully, he listens to such good counsel.
It is, therefore, a conceited Wike that feels he can fool himself, and definitely not the good people of Rivers State.
