Nyesom Wike Should Be Called To Order – Hon Uchendu Hon Andrew Igbonule Uchendu (OON) represents Ikwerre-Ohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He is also a winner of the 2003 National Productivity Merit Award. In this interview with ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, he speaks on the crisis rocking the Rivers State chapter of the PDP and other issues. It was reported in the media that the minister of state for Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, recently declared his intention to run for the governorship seat in Rivers State in 2015 and you are worried about the development; why? As a Rivers man, I feel greatly saddened from what I read in some national dailies, where I read the outburst of the minister of state for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, possibly under the cover of the declaration of his intention to run for the office of the state governor. Why am I worried? I am worried because, first of all, I count myself as one of the responsible citizen of the state,a true son of Rivers State. I have paid my dues in the state and I have contributed to the development of the state. Secondly, I am an Ikwerre man like Wike and His Excellency, Governor Amaechi. Thirdly, I am a member of the House of Representatives, representing Emohua and Ikwerre Federal Constituency, where the outburst was alleged to have been made. Finally, I count myself as a responsible citizen and I don’t need to be arrogant about it. I feel happy and grateful to my country for honouring me with two national awards. Can I be at home and watch this kind of unnecessary outburst, giving the impression to the whole country that there is a great war going on right here? I will not stop speaking out. Who is waging war against whom? I am a foundation member of the PDP; I was here from the inception, 28th August 1998, when 28 political associations merged to form the PDP. We have never heard of any crisis of this magnitude in Rivers State. And who is fuelling all these? I really can’t understand; and more surprising - coming from Chief Nyesom Wike, who I do know. When we started the PDP in Rivers State, and started working with Rotimi Amaechi as our own leader, he brought him (Wike) in; Wike did not start with us. In 1999 or sometime in 2000, Amaechi brought him in to join us in his group and we related very well. Wike had his first term as chairman of Obio/Akpor, then his second term. The people of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area refused his going back for a second term. Chibuike Amaechi, as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly then, led us. I am the chairman of Ikwerre National Forum, the political think-tank of Ikwerre people, so, I am talking from an informed point of view. Amaechi led us to go and speak to the people of Obio/Akpor. It was at the residence of late Chief Eric Asoh that we met them and pleaded with them to allow Nyesom Wike to go for a second term. The people of Obio/Akpor yielded to our plea, and he ran and won the chairmanship of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council. We all worked together with love and harmony to achieve Amaechi’s governorship. With all the genuine efforts of all of us and the PDP, Amaechi got his ticket. During the period of travails, Nyesom played roles like all of us. But as a lawyer, we conceded to him, the liaison, between the lawyers and followers of Amaechi, including people like me. And when Amaechi finally secured his mandate and came back as governor of Rivers State, I am happy to say that Wike was compensated with the position of Chief of Staff, Government House, and you all know that he wielded enormous powers at the pleasure of His Excellency. It is to the credit of Governor Amaechi that when Mr. President called for nominations, he recommended Wike and Rivers people and Ikwerre people are indeed very grateful to Mr. President for accepting Wike as minister of Education. So, what am I trying to say? For somebody who has eaten from the same table and the same plate with the governor over these years, for people that have interacted so much over the years, was this outburst at Elele necessary? What is the fight? Who is fighting who? If Wike wants to run for a higher office, it is his constitutional right. Must he create the impression that there is heavy war in Rivers State? Is it true that Ikwerre land - we are talking about Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Emohua and Ikwerre LGAs - has been divided into north and south, politically? I am an Ikwerre man, in our dictionary, we have never come across Ikwerre north and Ikwerre south. I am senior to Wike by age in Ikwerre land. What is he trying to introduce? I know President Goodluck Jonathan. He knows that I admire him. He knows me in person. I definitely know that Mr. President cannot condone this type of thing and his name should not be dropped into this. I make bold to say that Wike has to be called to order. This state does not belong to him and PDP does not belong to him. He should not undermine the efforts of all genuine leaders of Rivers State. Yes, there is a face-off, from what we are gathering. Will this outburst help in resolving the face-off? Will this outburst help the activities and efforts of our elder statesmen, who had met with Mr. President and he had agreed to a parley to discuss these issues. Why won’t a public officer of Wike’s level be a little more sober and decorous and pray that Mr. President and the governor of Rivers State resolve their differences? I think I have made my point. Attacking the person of the governor, is it necessary? Why is he doing as if he had never met Rotimi Amaechi anywhere in the world? Let me assume that there is a misunderstanding, has the governor said anything against the person of Nyesom Wike? Recently, chairman of PDP in the state, Hon. Felix Obuah said zoning was dead in the state; what is your take on that? The people of Ikwerre ethnic nationality have a common proverb that says, “When you are not there when the corpse is interred, if you are asked to exhume it, you may start from the leg.” As a foundation member of PDP, I can authoritatively say that Felix Obuah, with every respect to him, by the pronouncement of a court of competent jurisdiction, is our chairman. He does not know, possibly, that the constitution of the PDP provides for the zoning of political offices and I will invite him to meet me so that I will tell him the necessary provision of that constitution. It is an article of faith, which the PDP has continued to adopt and people like us will continue to support that. When Felix Obuah meets me at my leisure time, I will tell him not to talk like that again, because that comment itself is anti-party. Zoning is the bedrock on which PDP is built. Why are people after Governor Amaechi. Do you think the problem is actually from President Goodluck Jonathan? Governor Amaechi has done excellently and Rivers people admire him, they support him. You can see he is stopping the ethnic nationalities from paying him solidarity visits. I am among those that are pleading with him to allow people who want to pay solidarity visits to do so. But, thank God, he has accepted. I do not think that this issue has to do with the state. It has to do with few Ikwerre people, who Amaechi has helped to get into offices. Let us confine them to Ikwerre people, the likes of Wike and Austin Opara. Maybe, due to their desire to aspire for one political office or the other, they decided to start early. Let’s assume it is their right.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:35:02 +0000
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