Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged Nigerians to dismiss the emerging political coalition under the African Democratic Congress, labeling its members as “naysayers and unpatriotic.”
According to him, their primary motive is to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, despite what he described as their lack of credible track records from previous political positions.
Speaking during the 35th Combined Convocation and 50th Anniversary of the University of Port Harcourt, where he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree in Political Science, Wike praised Tinubu’s policies, which he said were already producing positive outcomes.
He stated, “Through his Renewed Hope Agenda, he has with the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund among other remarkable initiatives started the dramatic transformation of tertiary education landscape in such a way that soon, no willing child will be denied access to quality education because of economic hardship.”
The former Rivers State governor defended some of the President’s economic policies, describing them as “painful but necessary” measures. He pointed to signs of progress, including a gradual decline in fuel prices and economic stability.
“Our country is undoubtedly on the path of positive ascendency and very soon, the impact will be visible even to the blind and obvious even to the cynically minded,” he added.
On the issue of the ADC coalition, Wike said, “We must resist the purveyors of lies, hate and division who seek to destroy our country. These men and women who converge under the banner of so-called coalition and propelling a division of grandeur and perpetual fight for relevance and political power.”
He continued, “If you interrogate their profiles, you will find that they have been in office for almost all their lives. Yet, they have nothing concrete to show of their achievements in building an enduring nation.”
Wike accused the group of spreading misinformation and undermining Tinubu’s administration, “In only two years of this administration, they are congregating to destroy rather than build and rather than reconstruct our hitherto battered country for which most of them have been active dramatis personae in the willful destruction of our politics and economy which they painfully orchestrated in their respective tenure in office.”
He added, “We know these naysayers and you are enjoined to reject them and their unpatriotic drum beats of division and failed propaganda.”
The minister also reflected on his longstanding support for his alma mater, UNIPORT, noting that his contribution to the establishment of the Faculty of Law stemmed from his deep sense of gratitude to the institution.
He said, “It is in the light of the foregoing that I have always strongly believed that every alumnus should give back to the university as a mark of pure gratitude. This also explains why I freely give to this institution whenever I have had the opportunity to so do.”
Wike recalled, “To this extent, you would recall that even though this university was established in 1975 as a conventional university, there was no Law faculty in this university. So, when I became a Minister of State (for) Education, I saw it as an opportunity that we must have a Faculty of Law. I’m glad that the Vice-Chancellor said it here today that today, we have a Faculty of Law. I did not only end at that; I said there must be a befitting Faculty of Law building, and I insisted, and today, we have that Faculty of Law.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
