Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has replied critics of the recent decisions of Southern governors on open grazing and other issues saying the governors’ demands are irrevocable.
Wike, who insisted that their demands must be respected reminded critics that no section of the country is inferior to others.
Wike spoke during a grand reception held in his honour by Ogoni nationality in Bori, Khana Local Government Area on Saturday.
The governor declared that he had taken further steps to fulfill the resolutions reached by Southern Governors in Asaba.
He said: “We have taken a position and no going back. Enough is enough. We are not second class citizens of this country. We also own this country.”
Wike charged the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) saddled with the responsibility of the cleanup of polluted sites in Ogoni, to relocate its operational office from Port Harcourt to Bori, the headquarters of the Ogoni people.
He said: “You cannot talk of cleaning up a place and keep your office in another area. Bring your office from Port Harcourt and come and stay in Bori, So that you can hear and appreciate the feelings of the people.”
Wike recalled that when he launched his quest to govern Rivers State in 2014, he received tremendous support from Ogoni nationality.
He said in appreciation, his administration had graciously fulfilled the promise to dualise the Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road and had gone further to award contract for the phase two of the project from Bori to Kono valued at N14bn.
The governor acknowledged that the people of Ogoni nationality had remained steadfast in their support of his administration.
The governor directed the Commissioner of Power and in-coming Chairman of Khana Local Government Area to ensure the electrification of all communities in the council yet to be connected to the national grid within the next five months.
He charged the incoming chairmen Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme to endeavour to initiate and implement projects that would enhance the wellbeing of their people.
Wike noted that Ogoni was an important part of the state and Nigeria, and urged their leaders to fight against the menace of cultism and other related acts of criminality.
The Rivers State governor, who was conferred with the title, the Mene Kwalenu 1st of Ogoni, (a benevolent king) by the President of Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty, King G.N.K Giniwa, assured that his administration would continue to ensure the development of every part of the state.
In his remarks, the President of Kagote, Emmanuel Deeyah, said the reception was organised in honour of the governor because Ogoni people were beneficiaries of the unprecedented infrastructural developments witnessed in the state since he assumed office.
He said: “In this light, we respectfully place on record our gratitude for the various appointments and elective offices that came to our sons and daughters through your singular effort.
“Due to several infrastructural development programs and projects that you have executed in our Local Government Areas both completed and some ongoing are scattered all over the place.”
Also, Senator Magnus Abe, lauded the governor for improving infrastructure in Ogoni land.
He said: “This is not a gathering of the Ogoni people from which any Ogoni man that is proud to be an Ogoni man can afford to be absent. A good politician is not the one that has the most number of enemies, it is the one that has the most number of friends.”
Former president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee, said Ogoni people would remain eternally grateful to Governor Wike for his developmental strides in Ogoni.
Mitee explained that during his reign as MOSOP president, he had appealed to all past Rivers State governors to dualise the Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road but none except Governor Wike harkened to him and other Ogoni leaders.
Present at the event were Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, Senator Barry Mpigi, Dumnamene Dekor , the Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly, Ikuinyi O. Ibani, and leaders of the Ogoni nationality.
