By: Admin
Convener of the Conscience of the Ogoni People, COOP, Chief Gani Topba, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to order following his recent actions in the state.
Topba who addressed a press conference on Wednesday expressed worry with the way the government of Rivers State was going about issues that concern Rivers people, mostly, Ogoni Kingdom, and the Kalahari Kingdom.
The COOP leader’s comment was on the hills of the installation of HRH, King Hope Daminabo Dan Opusingi as the Amayanabo of Opu-Kula Kingdom, and the official recognition of his Stool and presentation of a certificate of recognition, by the Executive Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike recently.
Topba held that Opusingi was not the choice of the people.
According to him: “I was shocked, by hearing the government, the governor, Wike’s move at a time that President Muhammadu Buhari has brought peace to Kula Kingdom…to bring traditional rulership issue at this point in time, to install a traditional ruler of his own choice, which is not the choice of the community. A choice that he wants to use to destroy the community, a choice that he wants to use to destroy the peace that the government of Buhari has restored to the community”.
“For me, and for the best way, I want to call on all Nigerians and the international community to call the governor of Rivers State to order, not to truncate the peace the president is bringing to Niger Delta.
“The template of what the President and the Minister of State for Petroleum and the GMD of NNPC and his team under the directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria restored to Kula, are issues that every other community in the region should learn from.
“So we were all calling on every good people to come out to see how peace is returned to the place and the president has done this… and he now went back to install a Chief”.
Topba said Kula community whose land is under dispute neither belong to Bayelsa State nor Rivers State, adding that Wike has no right to take such a decision.
He said: “I feel… I want to advise the Governor to pursue the matter of boundary dispute within the Kula area and then wait till the final verdict where decisions will be taken.
“As far as I am concerned, as far as Rivers State is concerned, as far as Nigeria is concerned, as at today, Rivers State does not own that place, neither Bayelsa. So he should pursue that and allow the peace, where even shell are agreeing for peace in the community to reign”.
He advised Wike to focus on a way of doing better governance in Rivers State, adding that Wike should focus on appointing his commissioners, and the delivery of the dividend of democracy to the people of Rivers State and leave oil business. “Oil business is not state business” he added.
