by Paulinus Nsirim
The major policy thrust of any right thinking government should ideally focus on the primary responsibility. In Nigeria, it is the protection and preservation of the sanctity of human lives. This is the background and prism from which the recent actions of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state must be viewed and evaluated. Any consideration beyond this will always sound hollow and fall short of the fundamentals of deductive or rational postulation.
To be sure, the governor, my Principal, has become so visible I believe for all the right reasons, not unconnected with upholding his oath of office. Good governance is never a walk in the park and there are three reasons that can be adduced for this.
First are the activities of entrenched interests and powers that seek to maintain the hegemony and sustain the retrogressive status quo that has kept the people of Rivers shackled to the mire of stunted growth, in total repudiation of prosperity and development. These are the same people who offer tokenism in place of robust well thought out programmes of emancipation. Their modus operandi is to create diversions, distractions and mostly outright fabrication of lies, concocted to derail genuine development goals.
Second is the poverty of the mind- and the belly- which has also been used, to great effects, in holding our people down. It is a known fact that the level of prevailing poverty makes the clarity and the raison d’etre for government actions always suspicious, even when it is for the common good of all. Where there is poverty, ignorance can be deliberately contrived and packaged to cause chaos and disaffection.
Third and perhaps more cogent here, is that policies are never designed as part of a popularity contest. Inevitably, effective policies are never convenient – they are usually the result of hard but necessary decisions which ultimately become a source of great joy and relief when it succeeds.
Governor Wike has had to contend with many battles in the discharge of designing , developing and doling out the dividends of democracy to the good people of Rivers State. Consder, for instance, the many forces to contend with as he wages war against the ravaging COVID 19 pandemic; and how at every twist and turn, unscrupulous political elements that are jostling for positions in 2023 have deliberately fuelled the ember of discord by spreading lies dark narratives against a proactive and astute administrator whose way of governance has become the bedrock of a strong and fast growing state.
Let us be reminded that every (nation) state that becomes great do not typically trade discipline for temporary convenience or extended indulgence that ultimately leads nowhere. The contract of Governor Wike for good governance, growth and development with the good people of Rivers can never be derailed nor diminished by sponsored crises. As it has been proven, the visible gains, comfort and convenience-not to say joy- from the developmental strides will always stand this administration in good stead.
His Excellency, who has been misjudged based on his actions at combating the pandemic has also shown the world that he is doing what is right and lawfully expected of him as the Chief Security Officer of the State to safeguard the lives of the residents of Rivers State and ensure their wellbeing during this trying times. Different ideologies have been postulated to malign the good intentions of the State Governor.
It is important to place on record that, it was after Wike took drastic steps in personally monitoring compliance that some residents of Rivers State started adhering strictly to the lockdown pronounced in the State. It is quite unfortunate that these same set of well-travelled Nigerians resident in Rivers State, would not have dared to flout such orders if they were in other parts of the world.
There is a need for us to be sincere about the transmission of Coronavirus in Nigeria, the Federal Government decided to lock the land, sea and air borders to defend the nation from being infested by those entering into the country. This was the same principle that propelled the measures was put in place by Governor Wike.
Objectivity and fairness is also central to the empathy that must characterise the policies of any responsible government. Recall the acknowledgement of this bent by Mr. Charles Isichie who wrote to commend the Governor on the plight of workers within the Maritime sector, who are classified as essential workers during the lockdown. It is a known fact that ships and other vessels are manned by people of various nationalities from diverse locations around the globe. This is great risk. The Governor magnanimously allowed maritime workers to do there daily job.
Despite the rant across various spheres, Governor Wike was still praised by the Management Team of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited led by the Executive Director, Mr Udobong Ntia. The team lauded the efforts of the Governor when they paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House. When you fight a pandemic, data, facts and science play very important roles. The Governor made it known that sixty per cent (60%) of the coronavirus cases recorded in the state were from oil workers returning from the rig. This made the State insist that oil workers must be tested to confirm their status. The Governor added that, “oil remains the mainstay of the economy of Nigeria and without it, it will be difficult for people of the South-South to function”. His request from the companies is that the government should be notified of the workers coming into the State and the health personnel can monitor them.
Similarly, The Peace Corps of Nigeria has also commended the Governor for his doggedness and proactive measures in fighting the spread of the dread coronavirus pandemic.
We all know that the party of His Excellency, Governor Wike, is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and we have noted the utmost struggle for political power since 2015. With all sense of humility, his daring achievements in the last five years have led to envy in the political space in the country.
The contrived crisis and the angling for a “state of emergency” are indicators of desperate some of the detractors have become. It must be clear, that castles built in the air never stand the test of time. Governor Wike will continue to impress quality leadership on the people of the State- it is a cause to which he is fully and totally dedicated.
We are not unaware that these people have decided to create unnecessary tension as if indigenes of Ahoada, Eleme and Port Harcourt are fighting with Northerners not to carry out their legitimate businesses. Since the outbreak of the Pandemic, various States across the country have been intercepting trucks carrying human beings alongside food items. Would it not have been better to join hands and seek the progress of the state? Instead of supporting the strides that have now signposted the leadership of Governor Wike, these Abuja politicians are busy looking for a state of emergency.
When all means of negatively tagging Governor Wike were exhausted, a faceless group, Centre for Public Trust, said the Governor is ignoring his Deputy, Dr. Mrs Ipalibo Harry-Banigo. The statement signed by a Sotonye George wondered why he was side-lining his deputy who is an experienced medical doctor and public health professional. They went further to say that an impeachment process is in the offing in the State House of Assembly. Thankfully, the allegation has been debunked by the office of the Deputy Governor. Dr Harry-Banigo who noted that she has enjoyed cordial relationship with the governor from 2015 till date.
The COVID-19 pandemic remains a time of great concern and challenge to ensure that citizens and safe and protected from infection. For us in Rivers, as the records show, we have lived up creditably well. The pandemic is a passing phase that but leadership remains the key antidote to its spread.
His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike remains unruffled in the provision of quality leadership to the people of Rivers State. The pandemic will soon give way for him to continue to deliver quality projects to the delight of the indigenes and residents of Rivers State. History will be fair to the Governor for standing out as a leader during this trying season.
Mr. Paulinus Nsirim is the Commissioner for Information, Rivers State
