Hon. Samuel Wanosike is the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers State. Prior to his election as the council boss, the engineer was the publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State chapter. In this interview with our correspondent, BLESSING OKORITE, Wanosike expressed sadness that despite Rivers State’s contributions to the national economy, the Federal Government has neglected its duty or failed to show serious concern over the environmental hazards going on in the state as a result of gas flaring by multinationals and other nefarious activities going in the oil and gas industry. He also applauded the people of the state for standing by Governor Nyesom Wike in his re-election and recent victory at the Court of Appeal
How would you react to the Court of Appeal judgement, authenticating the victory of Governor Nyesom Wike at the 2019 governorship election?
First of all, I want to thank God Almighty for that judgement. It is a reaffirmation of the victory of the governor, the mandate the people of Rivers State freely gave to him via their votes because they are convinced, as we speak that he is the best hand that can manage their resources. What that judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal signals, is that the governor now has the time to relax and work for the people of Rivers State. If you were in the court on the day the judgement was delivered, you would know that even the ADP lawyers weren’t prepared to come to court because they could not file their brief properly. When they were asked, they could not even present proper defence on the reason their documents were not properly filed. So, the people of Rivers have spoken via their votes on March 19, and that victory is from God Almighty and we know from what is happening today, Rivers people are excited.
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Governor Nyesom Wike, despite all the abuse, is going ahead, working massively for the people of Rivers State. Walk the streets of Port Harcourt, walk the streets of all the local governments, Governor Wike has signature project that is either completed or ongoing. That is what they called a man, who swore an oath to protect the lives and property of the people and to improve on their welfare. Today, Rivers State is a construction site. All we plead with our people is to continue to pray for the governor for more wisdom, for good health. The same wisdom God gave to Solomon is the same we want God to give to Governor Nyesom Wike to be able to do much more and set higher standard so that we, the coming generation, will know that a bar has been set and the bar can never be lowered so that Rivers State can continue to grow to the point where we can all beat our chest and say we are true Rivers men and women.
How would you access the security situation in the state under the leadership of the governor?
Wonderful! You and I can attest that it is a great deal to the people of Rivers State today that our night lives have returned; investors are flowing in and stumbling upon themselves, coming from all places of the world into Rivers. We don’t hear about civilian generals anymore; they have all gone into hiding. We are seeing clearly that the issue of following people to banks where they go and forcefully collect money from innocent members of the public has become a thing of the past. Security men are now taking their jobs seriously in the day, in the night. The communities are becoming safer; our highways are safer. We are no more hearing about attacks on East/West roads. No more attacks on Owerri Road. No attacks along Ogoni, Emohua, Kalahari roads. That is what a governor has done for his people and that governor is Chief Nyesom Wike. So we are excited. Even the press people can attest to that. Even those in opposition are now calling for Thanksgiving Services. They are now coming to Rivers State to hold functions; it shows clearly that the state is safe. Before, we hear that if you want to organize burial, wedding, traditional ceremonies and other functions, the civilian generals will tell you to come and pay them money. We don’t hear them anymore. What else can we say than to say thanks be to God Almighty for giving us Governor Nyesom Wike and thanks for giving him the wisdom of bringing Operation STING and allowing the community to be part of the fight against insecurity. So we are excited.
How would you appraise the leadership of this nation, Nigeria, especially as it affects Rivers State?
It is unfortunate that we are the treasure base of the nation. Our gas and oil is important to the Federal Government. Yet, billions of naira was voted for infrastructural development and Rivers State did not benefit from that project. It is unfortunate. I have told my friends and colleagues that I am tired of criticising, because when you criticise, it is as if nobody is listening to your criticism. It doesn’t make sense to me anymore. But we will keep the record straight. How can the Federal Executive Council sit and distributes over N140 billion in infrastructural development and one cent was not given to the hen that laid the golden egg? It is an abnormality; something is wrong. So, as Rivers people, we have taken to fate that that is what is coming our way this time around. But we know that there is God in heaven, who sees the hearts of men and God at the appointed time will come to the aid of the people of Rivers State because we cannot be suffering the hazardous air we breathe in today. The air in Rivers State is hazardous, which means we are inhaling poisonous air. Yet, it does not touch the conscience of any man to say, this people that are suffering, dying out of cancerous diseases not known to anyone, not even science, nobody can say for the fund they are getting from these people, let invest some little to improve their welfare why they are still alive. It is unfortunate. That is how I see the nation.
If the leaders at the Federal Government have the fear of God and knowing that there is a God somewhere whether your are Muslim or Christian that is watching on all of us, that they will come to Rivers State, drill the oil, they take the gas, they take the resources and they don’t think it wise to improve on our welfare. Our East-West road is gone. It is cut off. Look at the Opobo-Bonny road, the Federal Government after the flag off, did not show up again. Nothing is happening there apart from the one Rivers State government is doing. So, we will keep our hope in God Almighty, we have not lost hope. We know time evolves and time will heal all wounds.
What is the state government doing to also fight the sources of the environmental pollution?
The state government has set up programmes to stop this air pollution and others. The state government spent its fund to pick up these tyres that are been burnt; it is a great step by the government. If the state government has the power to stop all these multinationals who are still flaring gas, even when the Federal Government has said clearly that gas flaring should stop at a particular time and if you flare gas should pay fine, how many of these multinationals have been fined. Is it the governor of Rivers State that will ask the companies to stop gas flaring? He doesn’t have the power. Everybody is careful now. You can see clearly that a Hate Speech Bill has been sent to the National Assembly. So, very soon even you the press and I will be looking and watching because nobody wants to be hanged or nobody wants to lose his life because of statement he has made or will make.
While other states have reviewed their blue print on agriculture, some accused Governor Wike that he has not really done much in that particular area. What is your take?
That is not correct. Governor Nyesom Wike, in his inaugural speech, stated clearly that in this second term, he is going to focus on agriculture and that is the way he is going. Governor Wike does not need to publish his blueprint. He is a working governor. The infrastructural development he is doing is the foundation to have a proper agricultural programme. Because if you don’t have passable roads, where would you go and have these agricultural programmes. So, as far as we are concerned, he is just few months old in this administration and he has placed all the indices right. Just last week, the list of commissioners and advisers was sent by him to the state House of Assembly. And as far as we are concerned, we know that soon, portfolio will be given to these men and women of great honour to hold offices to be able to work for the people of Rivers State. Go back to his inaugural speech, Nyesom Wike is not a man that makes a promise to the people of Rivers State and not keep it. He has said clearly that he is going to re-establish our rubber plantation. He said he is going to re-establish the rice farming system. He has said all the agric sectors are going to have boom because that is the only way to provide jobs for our people. Yes, the construction industry is also providing jobs, but he is saying agriculture will provide jobs and foods at the same time. We are known as the Treasure Base of this nation. We are known as one of those who are into agriculture big time and so Nyesom Wike does not need to go and blow his trumpet and deceive people like others are doing. He is a job oriented man.
What is your reaction to the border closure by the Federal Government?
Well, on the closure of border, I think our neighbouring countries need to understand that enough of this Father Christmas attitude. Enough of Nigeria being a dumping ground. Enough of a small state like Benin importing rice that they cannot finish consuming in 10 years time and bring it into Nigeria. So, in my own understanding, what I have been told by those who man our borders is that the closure is yielding us result. But I also know that it is causing us a lot of economic hardship.
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What have been your achievements since you assumed office as the chairman of Ikwerre Local Government?
For us as a government, we came prepared. We made promises to our people and we are delivering on those promises irrespective of the few resources that are available to us from the Federal Government. I just inaugurated an Evaluation Committee to go and evaluate the value of the properties of businesses and property owners in our local government. This will enable us improve on our Internal Generated Revenue, IGR, collection, so that we can be able to deliver on the promises we made to our people. We have a market to flag off in Omaleru. We have police station to build in Ubima because right now, peace has returned but that peace needs to be sustained. We have Operation Crocodile Smile going on; we need to keep supporting them. We have JTF, we need to support them. We have men of SARS, we need to support them. We have six police divisions working in the local government, we need to support them. Communities have developed their vigilance groups; we need to support them to make sure that these criminals stay away from our environment. We have reconnected our people to the national grid in line with the promise we made to them. We met a situation where there was total blackout for three years. People are enjoying electricity today. Our boys and girls now have the privilege of going back to school through our back to school programme. Our mothers are dashing us gifts these days through our back to farm programme, which we supported them with. We met infrastructural decay in all the 13 wards in Ikwerre Local Government Area, including the headquarters. We have tackled them. A lot of our projects are still ongoing. Some are 40 per cent completed, some are 50 per cent completed and we believe before we get to the date we gave to the contractors for completion, these projects will be completed. We are not going back on it.