By: Felix Ikpotor
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State has lambasted critics of the state governor Nyesom Wike for gifting the government of Sokoto State the sum of five hundred million naira to rebuild a burnt market in the state.
On Tuesday, 19th January 2021Wike paid a visit to the Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, to commiserate with the people of Sokoto State, over the fire outbreak which destroyed a substantial section of the Shehu Shagari main market, in the seat of the caliphate.
Governor Wike, during the visit, donated the sum of #500 million naira to the government and people of Sokoto to facilitate the rebuilding of the market and also assist traders who were affected by the inferno.
But the party in a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Tambari Sydney Gbara said it was so “surprising that the governor’s patriotic, and humanitarian benevolence has been politicized in some quarters without considering the substance in the gesture. But rather insinuating that His Excellency is using Rivers State money to play national politics by lobbying to become the Vice Presidential candidate to Governor Tambuwal at the expense of Rivers people”.
The statement reads: “First and foremost, we must understand that the act of giving to the needy is a virtue, especially, as sanctioned by the Almighty God. The scripture admonishes us to give willingly to those in need, as Christians because God loves a cheerful giver. Hebrews 13:16 says “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God”.
1 John 3:17 states: “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Proverbs 28:27: “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse”. Rivers State as a completely Christian State as declared by His Excellency’s exemplary gestures towards one another is the best way to further portray what our State stands for.
However, this is not the first time Governor Nyesom Wike is extending his benevolence to his colleagues, more so, he is not the only Governor who has donated to the Sokoto Government, nor is he the first to toe this line of action, yet they were never greeted by such criticism as we have today. On January 19, the Governor of Kebbi State equally donated the sum of 30 million naira to the Sokoto State Government, for the rebuilding of the same market. Does it mean that the people of Kebbi will be asking for the head of their Governor for assisting his colleague going through a traumatizing period, as we are experiencing in Rivers State? This has shown that Governor Wike is not the only one that has donated to assist in that incident and many more donations may be on the way to help the people of Sokoto State.
We, wish to remind us, that on February 7, 2018, Governor Wike also donated the sum of 200 million naira to the people and government of Benue State to carter for the over 500,000 IDPs caused by herdsmen attacks rampaging their communities. The National Chairman Of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Governor of Bauchi State Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu visited Rivers State on October 24, 2014, to meet with the leadership of the PDP and in the process visited the Mile one Market that was gutted by fire in 2013 and donated the sum of 250 million naira for the reconstruction of the market and rehabilitate the traders, meaning that Rivers State has equally benefited from others, more so, the value of that amount of money that was given to us as at that time, is twice the value of what Governor Wike donated to Sokoto State.
In 2010, the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi through the Bill Clinton /Bush Foundation equally donated the sum of 1 million dollars an equivalent of #500 million naira today, to the people of Haiti, a South American country that suffered an earthquake. Records also have it that, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, as Governor of Rivers State, also donated the sum of 74 million naira to the widows of the sectarian crisis in Jos Plateau State.
That same year, the former Governor of Lagos State now minister of Works, Babajide Raji Fashola also raised 1 million dollars for the people of Haiti. The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, who serves as the current Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator, Godswill Akpabio, donated the sum of 50 million naira for the treatment of victims of the bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger state, and also sent Engineers of Akwa Ibom state government to rebuild the church. Senator Akpabio also built a 280 bedroom hostel for the Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure, Jigawa state, and built a luxury Apartment for students of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Abuja. He is not from any of these States, yet he rendered such a level of assistance to them.
History has shown that, Governments and patriotic individuals had often demonstrated their philanthropic gestures to one another, at different times, through cash donations or relief materials to disaster victims. In March last year, Governors of the thirty-six States under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, donated N200 million to the Abule Ado/Soba Emergency Relief Fund set up by the Lagos State government following the explosion that rocked the Abule-Ado area, near the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos State.
We equally recall that Governor Wike has displayed his passion to stand up for the downtrodden on several occasions by putting his life on the line to fight for injustice. For instance, it was his brave act that saved some judges in the State from when attempts were made by uniformed men to kidnap them from their houses, the same was the story of a renowned lawyer and a woman activist Barr. Joi Nunieh, who is a card caring member of APC. This is to show that he is a detribalized person who does not care about parties or religious affiliations in his support for humanity.
Our project Governor has promised Rivers, people, that despite all the projects he has done so far, that he will embark on more projects in areas that have not been covered, he firmly promised to clear all backlogs of pensions and gratuities of pensioners who were cut up in the Contributory Pension Scheme of the Rotimi Amaechi Government, having enacted the Rivers State Pension Reform Law (no.4 of 2019), which has gone a long way to help resolve the challenges generated by the failed Contributory pensions Scheme of Amaechi. As of December last year those who have been capture biometrically have been enrolled and are receiving their monthly pension. hence all pensioners will be captured and paid before the end of his second tenure. Owing to the fact that His Excellency has an antecedent of keeping to promises all the yearnings and aspirations of Rivers People will be met by the Wike led administration.
The Party is using this medium to once more thank our amiable Governor for making us proud through his signature projects in the State and we implore him not to allow a group of political rascals to distract him from what he is doing in the State which is first of it’s kind.
His Excellency is thorough with delivering the dividends of democracy to Rivers people that he will allow the quest for the purported Vice Presidential bid to distract him. He is a practical politician that does not believe in eye service, Governor Tambuwal shares a wonderful relationship with our Governor despite been the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. Therefore, it is only natural that his friends and colleagues will rally around him in time of need. Rivers PDP will appreciate constructive and issue-based criticism by the opposition. The APC has failed in this regard rather are chasing shadows.
Only the evil-minded, will criticize Governor Wike for supporting the needy, by extending a helping hand to the people of Sokoto state, in their time of need which is one of the characteristics of a good leader. PDP in Rivers state hails his humanitarian posture and benevolence, urging him to continue to do more in the service to humanity.
We, therefore appeal to detractors of this administration to desist from peddling false narratives that lack facts all the time to deceive the unsuspecting public from the reality on the ground about the true position of the Pensioners in the State. Governor Wike has silenced the opposition through his works, which has elevated our State to an enviable height. We pray that God who rewards openly those who sow in the secret should continue to reward our Governor with more grace to help the downtrodden in society because giving is of God and He blesses the hands that give”.
