Port Harcourt—Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says he will bow out of office on 29 May as a fulfilled man, having positively impacted the 23 local government areas of the state.
Premium Times reports that Wike made the statement during a Thanksgiving Service organised by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday at All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Rumuokwurushi, Obio/Akpor local government area of the state.
The governor said only a blind man or an enemy of the state would refuse to admit the extent of the spread of equitable infrastructure across the state and charged the incoming administration with stewardship.
“If your politics is not about the interest of your people, then you have a problem; the electorate is now wiser, you must be ready to present a full ‘report card’ to your people by 2027 if you must continue in politics.”
He also attributed the party’s victory at the polls to evidential impacts in the area of good governance and gender balance.
Wike said females were serving as Vice-chairmen in the 23 local government areas with not less than 5 female ward councillors in each area and also a handful of female Senators and Members-elect.
The governor urged the Governor-elect, Siminialayi Fubara, and his team not to be distracted by the opposition “bent on dragging them at the tribunal”.
Earlier, the programme’s host and Bishop in charge of the cathedral, Innocent Ordu, noted that Nigeria needed political officeholders who were problem solvers, not excuse-givers.
Reading from the book of James chapter 4: 8, he urged the incoming administration to always seek God’s guidance in their quest for wisdom to deliver good governance to the people of the state.
“We need performance and we need game changers like the outgoing governor, Nyesom Wike, who is indeed a game changer.
“To achieve good governance, particularly in Rivers, Mr Governor-elect, I urge you to assemble a very strong team which by all standards, is competent and capable.
“A team of passionate individuals who love the state more than they love their pockets, a good leader will always surround himself with a team of honest, courageous, God-fearing men and women of integrity to deliver on their assigned tasks,” he said.
