Rivers State Governor, Â Nyesom Wike has vowed to protect the interest of Rivers people through the provision of people oriented projects , irrespective of alleged attempts by the All Progressives Congress to truncate his efforts.
He made the declaration at a State banquet which held at the Government House, in Port Harcourt Monday evening , to celebrate the new year.
His words, ” Let me thank each and everyone of you for attending today’s state banquet, Â which will usher us into a new year of 2018.
” We can’t thank God enough that inspite of what we passed through last year, God has seen us to this new year of 2018.
“I want to thank Mr. Speaker and the Chief Judge for the support , for the collaboration with the Executive. Whatever we achieved last year was a result of the synergy between the legislature, Â judiciary and the executive.
“Because no one arm of government can do it alone. It requires the legislature to pass the budget , before the executive will implement any budget.
“It requires the judiciary to make sure that criminals who parade themselves in the city do not rest, so that those contractors will be at their various sites to work.
“So it requires the support, the synergy of the three arms of government for us to achieve anything. Â So I want to thank them immensely for the support they have given to the executive.
“It has not been easy we all know, but to the glory of God, we can say that with God on our side, we have a lot of achievements that we have recorded in 2017.
“Let me in particular thank all Rivers people and our leaders and our party for the support they have given to our administration. Â There is nobody in this party in this state, all our leaders have all worked together to see that the milestone we have achieved was made possible. I want to sincerely thank them.
“Because it is not easy. If you invite your leaders to give you support and they are not there, you know something is missing. But each time we invite them for one program or the other, those of them who are in Abuja, those of them who are away in Logos will always come and give us support. I want to commend you and urge you not to relent, to continue to support this administration.
“We have made promises last year, we have fulfilled most of the promises, but I want to assure that yes, some people say this year is a political year, we will work as if , as when we were sworn in, in 2015.
“We are not going to work because this is a political year. We owe rivers people good development, we owe rivers people to give them the best that they deserve. So whether it is political year or not, please know that we are not going to rest. We are going to work as we worked since 2015 to 2017.
“So starting from tomorrow ( Tuesday), we shall fully commence and make sure that we continue to execute projects that will chase away those who are interested to come to this state to loot our money to go and give their brother somewhere.
“It is only projects that have kept us this far. If we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing. I can assure you by now they would have been throwing us stones on the road. But I thank God that with the support of everybody, each time we walk on the road, people come out, people smile, people are happy.
“I have gone to so many states, I see most chief executives. It is very difficult for them to walk on the road, but this year, we walk on the road, we stay with people and when we see that people are happy, it spurs us the more and I can tell you that we will not rest.
“We must make sure we change the face of Rivers State. W must make sure that those objectives, aims of our founding fathers, in fact let me say this, Dr. Peter Odili is here, now one of the things people must know is that this Government House was built by him, the residence, the office and the Presidential lodge.
‘The House of Assembly was built by him, the Judiciary was also built by him. But when we came here, we said we must add something, so that when he comes, he will know that it is not the way it was that time.
“That is what makes a difference. When you see a good foundation, you continue on that path. So I want to thank His Excellency Dr. Peter Odili, for giving us that foundation, for some of us today, are happy to continue with. I can assure you, we will not disappoint you.
“This 2018, just this evening, someone called me from Opobo that the King said he should tell me that they are very, very happy. I said why? He said what they thought will be impossible, is now possible. That they can now drive to Opobo Local Government.
“And I want to assure you that by the grace of God, of course I made that promise that somebody who said, who was in a position here, who denied his people that same project, that we will do everything possible to make sure that he drives on road to his village.
“The people of Andoni by the grace of God, before mid year this year, be sure that you will drive to Ngo. We will do everything possible, to make sure that you drive to Ngo.
“So many projects we have started, I can assure you that during our 3rd year anniversary, we will commission projects like ; 1) Sapkenwa road, 2) we will commission projects like Obiri/Ikwerre road, 3) We will commission projects like Trans Amadi Road, 4) We will commission projects like Abuloma/Woji/ Elelenwo/Akpajo road.
“Some of you who may have time to go to Trans Amadi, you will notice that the landscape of that area has changed. Some of you who know Elelenwo very well, if you go to Elelenwo, you will see that the landscape has changed . Some of you who know Akpajo very well, they can’t believe it that that is what they are enjoying today.
“Very soon, you may not even bother to, if you are going to Bori, you don’t need to take Aba Road, all you need to do is take from Peter Odili Road, down to Woji to Elelenwo, you are at East West Road.
“It is key for all of us to know that infrastructural development is very, very important. We have started the dualization of Omoku/Egbema road. I can assure you that by the grace of God, by the end of this year, we must finish that road.
“There is hardly any local government we have not touched on. The only local government I know and which by next week I have said we are going to flag off, is Omuma local government. I don’t know of any local government that will say that there is no presence of government in that local government. If you start from Rivers West, to Rivers East and then Rivers South East. Every local government have one project or the other.
” So omuma people. I can tell you that you have nothing to fear. God’s time is the best and I can tell you that we will get one of the best contractors to construct that road. I also want to assure you that at the 3rd year anniversary, we will commission the mother and child hospital along Aba Road and by the grace of God, by the time you know it, you will not recognize the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital again. We are doing everything possible to see that it becomes one of the best, as far as Nigeria is concerned, If you look at the doctors’ quarters we are building, so we are not going to leave any sector behind.
“I hope that the Chief Judge has taken time to drive to where we are building their residential houses. I am sure if any of you gets to that place, there is no way you will not be interested to live in that particular area. Go and see what intels is doing and let me also assure our Judges from Rivers State, who are in the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, FCT Court and the Apex Court, that of course we are not abandoning you, all the promises we have made, we must keep to it.
“So I want to urge every Rivers person to understand that we have no other state other than Rivers State. And I have said that politics is not a do or die affair. We must not continue to play politics of bitterness. Party is like a vehicle, conveying you to where you want to go to and when you get to your destination, you no longer talk about party, you talk about the interest of your people.
“Whether you belong to APC or you belong to PDP, know that interest of Rivers State is paramount. If you are in National Assembly, you must fight for Rivers State to get projects. You are not going to fight for APC or PDP to have projects, you are only fighting for Rivers State to have projects. So you must work for the interest of the state and that is why I said it doesn’t matter where you belong to.
“If there is anything I can do to help, all of us will have to put our heads together for the betterment of this state. Let us work together and forget about the political party you belong to. When election comes, we will talk about party. But when we are talking about governance, we don’t talk about party. Yes, i will not abandon my party, but in terms of providing development for the people of Rivers State, I can not also compromise.
“So I thank all of you that inspite of certain mistakes, we may have said certain things we are not supposed to say, I want to say that in governance, you step on the toes of so many people. It is not intentional but things have to be done for us to move forward.
“So if in 2017, there are certain things in course of doing the work, you are not happy that certain actions were carried out, know it that it was not intentional and so you don’t have to put it in your mind that we are not interested in your welfare. No!
“This year, of course there will be challenges, but you can be assured that by the grace of God, we will withstand those challenges. No amount of distraction will make us loose focus. No amount of distraction.
” I can tell you that we will work as if we are just starting. If you are in the House of Assembly, of course this is a critical period. I have told you before that if this point in time in our life, you are a member of the Assembly and you work for the development of the State, history will be on your side tomorrow.
“One thing I have known, which I have always commended you people for, is that you have never worked by giving me conditions, No!. You have always sacrificed for the State to move forward. I urge you to continue in that spirit. I am aware when we came on board, Commissioners and Special Advisers had their vehicles even before the members of the Assembly had.
“It is a sacrifice and that is what is expected of every person. So I urge you to continue with that and don’t allow people to tell you stories that will make you to be confrontational with the executive. At the end of the day, it is the people of the State that will loose. And I am not sure that it will be to your best interest for our state to loose. Let’s work together and I can assure you , this state as usual will continue to be the envy of other states.
“Somebody was talking two days ago, he said look, when he was Governor of this state, he was never sleeping to make sure Rivers people sleep. I said well, it was also the same state all of us knew that because of the insecurity in this state, nobody was coming to Rivers State to host any National event, everything moved down to Akwa Ibom State.
“When Dr. Peter Odili was Governor, virtually everything was held in this state, but when he left as Governor, everything moved down to Akwa Ibom. Why? Insecurity!
“Today, virtually international, National engagements are taking place in Rivers State. If it was insecure, if it was not secure, will they come? Certainly they wont come. Every Ministry, every parastatal of government wants to come to Rivers State and that shows that Rivers State has gone back to what it used to be when Dr. Peter Odili was governor of the state. And I can assure you that we will continue to walk on that path.
“As the capital of the south south, it will not go to any other state in the south south again. For all I urge is for you to be patient with us, continue to pray for us. Let me commend the clergymen, Â if there was one thing that has happened during this our tenure, is the fact that the Christian community has worked so well with us. In terms of prayers and that is why I said whether anybody likes it or not, this state is a Christian state.
“I will continue to say it. In this 2018, for those who didn’t hear, hear me today being 1st of January, Â 2018 that this is a Christian state. And so I must work with the church to move this state forward.
“And so, I urge the clergymen,  our pastors to continue to pray for us because we know that the  enemy will never sleep. But I know with God, we shall be victorious .
“So my dear brothers and sisters, thank you for all the support you have given to us. Do not relent, continue! Wherever we have gone wrong, do not hesitate to call our attention, we will always take corrections.
“But one thing you will ever know is that I will defend the interest of this state anywhere. And just as I have said, whatever is being given to other people, we also have problems here and it should also be given to us.
“So I want to say again, happy and prosperous new year. Continue to have faith in us. We will not disappoint you. All the laurels we have won, we dedicate to you, because you have stood firm. You have stood by us and we want to tell you that we will win more laurels. Â That I can assure you.
“Chairman of our party, be assured that yes, you are the chairman but Rivers State people will continue to give you their support and I thank those who stood by him. Not those, but everybody from Rivers State , who is a member of PDP, stood by you and I want us to continue to work in that spirit.
“Nobody went outside to say oh afterall, Â if he becomes chairman is it me that is the chairman? It is only his business. No! Everybody took it as if each and everyone of us was contesting that election.
“And that is what it is supposed to be. I want to assure you that we will continue to support you. Whatever is needed for you to succeed, we from Rivers State will do everything to make you succeed as the National chairman of our party.
“I believe that this year financially we will be better than last year. Don’t way Amen, that I want to dash you money, No!. But I know that we will have more money to execute a lot of projects and also important, the stomach infrastructure. Â I know that is the one you would want to clap more.
“So, thank you very much for attending to our invitation and go home and sleep very well that this is a year of jubilation, Â a year of joy and this is a year of success for all of us. Thank you and God bless you
