Tag: #Nyesom Wike

  • Wike Commissions Multi-Chain Supermarket, Says Rivers More Attractive To Investors

    Wike Commissions Multi-Chain Supermarket, Says Rivers More Attractive To Investors

    Rivers State governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says he is delighted that measures taken by his administration to make the State an investment destination have continued to yield results.

    One of such recent evidence is the formal opening of the HyperCity Supermarket that is located at the Eastern Bye-pass Junction, Ogbu-nu-abali community in Port Harcourt Local Government Area.

    Governor Wike was on hand to formally inaugurates the supermarket on Wednesday and opened it for daily business.

    The governor said the land on which the supermarket is sited used to be a mangrove forest from where criminals terrorise the adjoining Ogbu-nu-abali community and motorists.

    With his administration sand-filling the area, governor Wike noted how attractive it became to the owner of HyperCity Supermarket who has today established his venture there.

    Concerning growing the business stakes of the state, Governor Wike said his administration is more interested in anything that will attract investment and create jobs for Rivers people.

    “But government took it upon itself to make sure that criminals don’t continue to thrive here. We owe the economy of the State to grow. We owe to provide security for businessmen and women, and security of communities.

    “You have seen how beautiful it looks, it cost us money to sand-filled this area. Just like people are approaching us now at the other site that they want to establish this and that. We feel happy and encouraged

    “The duty of government is to provide enabling environment. I want investors to come to the State. When investors come to the state, our people will be employed. When our people are employed, government will collect taxes and use those taxes and do other things for the State.”

    Governor Wike commended the management of HyperCity Supermarket for keeping to the agreed business timeline concerning the use of the land they secured from government.

    The governor said since his administration was ending soon, any investors that has secured land for use for business must begin to actualise that purpose or lose the land.

    “Just like we said that anybody that wants land from Rivers State government, you’ll tell us the duration.

    “Because in previous administration, people come and tell government they want to do this, they want to do that. And then, government will give them the land, and then you’ll find out that in five or six years, nothing has happened.

    “Before you know it, they take government land and sell and make more money or use the government land as collateral for loan.

    Governor Wike recalled how the land on which Silverbird Cinema is located along the Abonnema Whaff Road was also secured by an investor from the State government but instead of concentrating on the business purposes, used it to borrow money.

    Today, the governor expressed the regret that State government is struggling to regain the land from Amcon that seized it from Silverbird for defaulting in repaying the loan it took from the bank.

    “Today, you know where you have Silverbird Cinema, that is government landed property. You know that was where Obi Wali cultural centre used to be. But somebody came and told government they’re going to build something underground and this and that, and government gave the land.

    “You know what the person did? He took our land and went and took loan from the bank without building what is supposed to be there. AMCON now came to seize the property that the person did not pay the loan. And today, we are struggling to take it back.”

    Governor Wike enjoined the management to provide employment to members of the host community and Rivers youths.

    He also insisted that such indigenous staff must be offered requisite training that will enable them grow to become management staff of the company.

    In his speech, managing director of HyperCity Supermarket, Mr. Sunny Chuwla said HyperCITY is a modern retail store based on Hypermarket store format l.

    He stated that they offer unparallel choice of local and international products cutting across the entire spectrum of consumable needs of a family under One Roof.

    “HyperCITY story started a year ago. When we were given the opportunity to invest here, it came with a condition that we need to open the store before Dec. 2022, or the land will be revoked without excuses

    “Today, we are glad that we have opened the 1st Store much before the deadline. Our second store is also lined up for opening very soon.

    “We all know that retail is one of the largest employment sectors in the world and as at today, HyperCITY has generated over 200 direct and indirect jobs to the Rivers people in this single store.”

  • Ayu Must Go, Nobody Will Make Me Change My Stance – Wike

    Ayu Must Go, Nobody Will Make Me Change My Stance – Wike

    Culled From Vanguard

    GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike says he is committed to leading the charge to compel Sen Iyorcha Ayu to give up his national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to a Southern Nigeria that no one can make him change his stance.

    Wike who asserted this while hosting Cross River State PDP governorship and all state and national assembly candidates along with local government chairmen of his private residence in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Wednesday night, also said genuine efforts to amicably resolve the impasse in the PDP were being frustrated by rent-seekers in the party.

    ADVERTISING

    Addressing his guests with South-South National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, present, Wike fingered perceived “hyenas and rent seekers,” as remaining obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.

    He said, “We’ve finished presidential primaries. We have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying to remove the presidential candidate? Is Wike saying to remove the vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for?

    “All I am saying will continue to say is you have taken president, give us national chairman. Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, remove the vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this.”

    “He (Ayu) said, if the presidential candidate comes from the north, he will resign, which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality, now resign, he says no. And people are saying go and talk to Wike.

    “I’ve accepted the presidential candidate, accepted the vice presidential candidate, what’s the problem again. You, fulfil your part. Let the South have something, that is all I’m preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director general of the campaign.”

    The governor described as hypocritical, PDP members criticising APC Muslim/Muslim ticket while supporting a particular region of the country to retain the presidency for another eight years.

  • Wike Hosts Cross River PDP Candidates, Donates 25 Buses For Campaign

    Wike Hosts Cross River PDP Candidates, Donates 25 Buses For Campaign

    Channels Television

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday night, hosted Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates for the State and National Assembly elections in Cross Rivers State.

    The delegation which includes chairmen of the party in the various local government areas was led by the Cross River Governorship Candidate of the party, Senator Sandy Onor.

    In his speech, Onor said, “Today is historic. Wike is a trailblazer for justice and equity. He speaks the truth fearlessly.”

    He said the candidates were in Rivers to “thank Wike for being a good friend when Governor Ben Ayade defected to the All Progressives Congress”.

    “Wike has defended us and protected us from intimidation. He has made PDP a party to beat in Cross River.

    “There is nothing that Wike is asking for that is personal. All he seeks is justice,” he noted.

    Onor also announced that Wike donated 25 brand new buses for the campaigns in Cross River State.

  • Governor Nyesom Wike’s Love For Cross River State Is Unrivalled And Unpretentious BY DESMOND-CRUZ

    Governor Nyesom Wike’s Love For Cross River State Is Unrivalled And Unpretentious BY DESMOND-CRUZ

    Governor Nyesom Wike’s love for the people of Cross River State is unrivalled and unpretentious.

    Nyesom Wike is that proverbial good friend that is better than a bad brother. Unlike some transactional Politicians whom today have turned themselves into self-acclaimed advocates for the Southern Senatorial District, Nyesom Wike stood firm for the entire People of Cross River State, particularly the Southern Senatorial District.

    When Justice Walter Onnoghen was faced with unmitigated persecution, while some Cross Riverians within the corridors of power in Abuja were busy writing copiously in Support of Justice Walter Onnoghen’s removal, Governor Nyesom Wike stood strongly for him.

    Today, the same set of transactional Politicians that were busy bootlicking the Northern hegemony in Abuja and joined forces with the aristocratic Northern Cabals to remove the duo of Justice Walter Onnoghen and Mrs Winifred Oyo-ita –both from the Southern Senatorial District– are now everywhere writing patronizingly for the same Southern Senatorial District that they orchestrated the removal of their illustrious son and daughter from Office.Thankfully, karma served them their own breakfast when they least expected it.

    Though, it was never my intention to travel down this memory lane but it is absolutely necessary, lest the South forget who their actual enemy is.

    According to a publication made by Punch Newspaper today 7th October 2022, Governor Nyesom Wike was reported to have nominated Former Governor, Donald Duke as running mate for Atiku Abubakar, even when he had the option of nominating himself. Isn’t this another form of sacrificial love for the people of Cross River State, particularly the Southern Senatorial District? Today, a certain man that wasted his opportunity in Abuja fighting Cross Riverians especially those from the Southern Senatorial District, is now the one trying to profess love for the people of the South more than everyone else. What an act of pretentious treachery!

    *©Umezulike Desmond-cruz*

  • Understanding Nyesom Wike, Atiku Does Not Know BY DOMINIC KIDZU

    Understanding Nyesom Wike, Atiku Does Not Know BY DOMINIC KIDZU

     

    Brash, incontinent and laudatory, with a generous semblance of a stormy petrel, that is how Governor Nyesom Wike possibly comes across to those of us who have never met him in the unique manner that only he can conjure. Were he to feature in the dramatic art, he could quite possibly have been a tragicomedic character, presenting the grim reality of human tragedy in scenes of mirthful ribaldry and self deprecating guffaws.

    The twist however, is that Nyesom Wike is neither a comedian nor is he an actor. He is surprisingly, a very serious and meticulous man with a genial sense of humour. He is also a man of duty, of friendship, a man of principle, with the memory of a dolphin, which recalls every good deed and unfortunately also, every slight and debt. It would appear that Atiku Abubakar and Iyorcha Ayu did not know Wike well enough before they undertook to tango with him. And the duo are not fortunate to be friends of Rotimi Amaechi who may have lend them a wee bit of his own experiences with the enigma called Nyesom Wike.

    If Wike’s trenchant posturings on television in the last few months have exposed the rotten underbelly of the PDP, it has also exposed the hubris in Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate. It has shown him up as proud and arrogant and as a man who still worships in the shrine of nepotism and corruption, ala Cousin Muhammadu Buhari.

    Atiku reminds one of the folk story where all the animals gathered together to choose a king for themselves and it was suggested that the duck fowl would best occupy the position because it could walk, fly and swim. But alas, before the crowning ceremony, the duck began to walk and prance about with the cockiness and arrogance of a king. It was the tortoise that first noticed this with alarm and drew the other animals attention to the kingly gait. In the end the animals out of fear that the worst might happen should the duck become king withdrew their support for its candidacy leaving the duck only with the majestic walk without a crown.

    And Atiku may yet end up without a crown because of hubris which now clearly appears to be his tragic flaw. William Shakespeare wrote that “the abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power.” The hawks are all over Atiku today buoying him up with false assurances and telling him what a great man he is. Atiku might well be a great man, but he must listen to himself first, he must stoop to conquer. The North will vote for him alright, they will vote for their brother. Even president Buhari may well vote for Atiku. But he needs other sections of the country as well to fulfil the constitutional requirement precedent to his being declared President.

    In the wake of the Peter Obi phenomenon it is rather surprising that Atiku is not doing realpolitik. He is still typically condescending to his colleagues from the South, as if to say “mai za su yi”? (what can they do?) Alhaji Atiku, they can do a whole lot. Already, the word on the street is that a man who cannot unify his party cannot possibly unify the country, and the evidence is all laid out for all to see.

    Nyesom Wike threw the clanger yesterday, that Atiku gave and Ayu took, all very typical of the tragic story of PDP. Nyesom Wike may well sink the ship of PDP, which is already approaching the iceberg, if Alhaji Atiku does not find the wisdom to climb down from his high horse, and pull the chestnut out of the fire before it is burnt. Underestimating Governor Nyesom Wike is a strategic mistake at this time. Na small shit de spoil nyash.

    Dominic Kidzu writes from Calabar.

     

    Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Dominic Kidzu and does not represent TheLumineNews or its agent.

  • Wike Dissociates From Suit Challenging Atiku’s Candidacy

    Wike Dissociates From Suit Challenging Atiku’s Candidacy

    Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike few moments ago (Friday) distanced himself from a purported suit said to have been filed by him seeking the removal of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s general election.

    This comes few hours after some media outfits had reported that Wike had ordered the removal of PDP flags in Rivers State government house, which also turned out to be false.

    In an exclusive chat with THISDAY, the Governor denied knowing anything whatsoever about the purported suit or even knowing the lawyers who filed the suit in the first instance. “I don’t know anything about the so called suit. I did not ask anyone to file any suit for me”

    The media was on Friday morning awash with reports that Governor Wike and one Chieftain of the PDP, Mr Newgent Ekamon, had dragged the PDP to court seeking the removal of Atiku as Candidate of the PDP in next year’s presidential polls.

    According to the purported suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the plaintiffs were said to have hinged their claims on the grounds that the PDP primary conferred undue advantage on Atiku which aided his emergence as candidate of the PDP in the May 28 and 29 primary.

    Reacting to the publication, Wike flatly denied the suit said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja. He described the suit as the handiwork of mischief makers who merely want to use him to score cheap political goals.

    He stated emphatically, “I don’t know the lawyers”. Continuing, he said, “am I a kid to be filing a suit at this time. I had 14 days after the primary within which to have filed any suit. I didn’t do that then, is it two months after primary I will file a suit?

    He also recalled that, “just yesterday they came up with the claim that I ordered my Chief Security Officer to pull down PDP flag in Government House. This is all false, it’s all propaganda. Some people are trying to use me to win the election. Please disregard all these lies”.

    ThisDay

  • Gov Nyesom Wike Visits Katsina State, Harps On National Unity

    Gov Nyesom Wike Visits Katsina State, Harps On National Unity

    By Joseph Ndifon

    Rivers State Governor, HE Barr Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has enjoined Nigerians to work cohesively for the development of the country while calling on politicians across political divide to cultivate the virtue of prioritising national unity above personal interest.

    He stated this during a consultation visit to his Katsina State counterpart, Rt Hon Aminu Bello Masari at the Katsina State Government House, Katsina.

    Governor Wike, a frontline presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who was in Katsina State to meet with party leaders and delegates ahead of the PDP National Convention later this month also deemed it proper to visit and notify Governor *Masari* of his presidential ambition.

    “I am formally informing you that I am making myself available to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And, I am here today to talk to delegates who will make it possible on the 28th and 29th of this month, which is our National Convention”.

    “We cannot say because you don’t belong to our party and therefore, we shouldn’t give you that respect, no, it is not allowed. By our tradition, party cannot divide us. Party is a vehicle that conveys you to your destination”.

    In his response, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State said it was gratifying that the Rivers State Governor is aspiring for the exalted office in Nigeria.

    “You have contributed immensely in your own way to the development of the political process in Nigeria. And, we really thank God people like you come from that part of the country; it shows confidence in the oneness of Nigeria and the political process”.

    The former Speaker of the House of Representatives further explained that he remained eternally grateful to the people of Rivers State for the immense support given to him while at the helm of affairs in the Green Chambers.

    “During my days as Speaker of the House of Representatives, if there is any one State I could count 100 percent support, it was Rivers State and we remain friends up till this moment. So anybody coming from Rivers State to wherever I am, he/she is welcome into my personal house or official residence”.

    While in Katsina, the incoming President also visited Hajia Aya Dada Yar’Adua, mother of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a woman who has not only been a blessing to Nigeria, but a Matriach in the history and political development of our Nation.

    The massive crowd as shown is a reflection of the support and legitimacy he enjoys across the states of the Federation, beyond party lines.

    Ndifon Joseph
    WIKE FOR PRESIDENT SUPPORT GROUP

  • The Leading Presidential Aspirant In PDP, Nyesom Wike Will Be In Calabar Today – Joe Obi Bisong

    The Leading Presidential Aspirant In PDP, Nyesom Wike Will Be In Calabar Today – Joe Obi Bisong

     

    Dear partners, this is to officially inform you that our own His Excellency Barr Nyesom Wike Governor of Rivers state and leading Presidential Aspirant will be in calabar today by 11am
    We are expected to mobilise in our numbers to the calabar Airport by 10am to recieved and accord our August visitor a resounding welcome to calabar.
    Give this information very wide publicity. Thank you and God bless you all.

    Joe obi Bisong
    DG

    Caterpillar Movement

  • Wike, Udom Leads Campaign Council For Ogoja/Yala Federal And Akpabuyo State Constituencies Bye-election

    Wike, Udom Leads Campaign Council For Ogoja/Yala Federal And Akpabuyo State Constituencies Bye-election

    February 22, 2022

    Press Statement

    PDP Constitutes Campaign Council for Cross River Bye-Elections

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the nomination of the following party members as members of the National Campaign Council/Election Management Team for the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State Constituency bye-elections scheduled for saturday, February 26, 2022 in Cross River State

    The members of the committee are;
    1. H.E Chief Nyesom Wike – Chairman
    2. H.E Emmanuel Udom – Co. Chairman
    3. Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu – Member
    4. H.E Sen. Liyel Imoke – Member
    5. H.E Donald Duke – Member
    6. Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe – Member
    7. Rt. Hon. Patrick Nathan Ifon – Member
    8. Chief Ferdinand Alabraba – Member
    9. Sen. Gershom Bassey – Member
    10. Sen. Prof. Sandy Onor – Member
    11. Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe – Member
    12. Hon. Daniel Asuquo – Member
    13. Hon. Essien Ekpenyong – Member
    14. Hon. Friday Okpeche – Member
    15. Hon. Effa Esua – Member
    16. Hon. Aniekan Akpan – Member
    17. Hon. Solomon E. Agwana – Member
    18. Hon. Ikem Venatius Ayabie – Member
    19. Hon. Barr. Kingsley Esiso – Member
    20. Dr. Tony Aziegbemi – Member
    21. Amb. Desmond Akawor – Member
    22. Chief Dan Orbih – Secretary

    The Directorate of Organization and Mobilization shall serve as Secretariat for the Council.

    Signed:

    Hon. Debo Ologunagba
    National Publicity Secretary

  • How LG System Will Thrive Under My Watch As C’River Governor – Sandy Onor

    How LG System Will Thrive Under My Watch As C’River Governor – Sandy Onor

     

    Senator Sandy Onor, the first aspirant to declare his ambition to contest for the governorship seat of Cross River State before PDP, met with journalists at the NUJ press centre last week where he unveiled his agenda for the state and also answered questions on his relationship with the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.

    TNN recorded the question and answer session.

    Excerpts:

    There’s no record that you have visited this press centre for any press conference since you got to the senate. So how are you going to turn that around when you become governor, to be hold periodic conferences with journalists and brief us how your work is going, as you said?

    I may not have been interacting with journalists in the state as much as I’ve been interacting with those in the National Assembly, but I’ve been interacting with the press. I’ve spoken to AIT, Channels, NTA, Arise TV et al. I’ve engaged the print media and I’ve been speaking with the press. Maybe I haven’t gone to the press as formally as I have now and I’m here right now my brother. I understand democracy, beauty and strength of the press and I’m a democrat. So I cannot treat the press with disdain.

    Looking at the state today, there is a very huge debt; there are lean resources in terms of allocation coming to the state. Will you please throw more light on how you intend to execute the laudable projects you listed down here in your blueprint?
    I’ll be very open and transparent and I’ll like for us to cut our coat accordingly to our cloth, and not size. What I see today is a situation where we speak in huge terms beyond our resources. Our budget is blown out of proportion and our capacity is hyped for nothing. It is important to tell our people the truth. There are three kinds of states- the very big ones, the medium and the small ones. I think Cross River today belongs to the small category. Smallness is not bad; stay where God kept you but work so hard that Cross River will be such a beautiful place that those who have the capacity for creating bigness will come to your state. That was the vision before now. We know we don’t have money; we can’t begin to put together a budget that is bigger than that of Lagos, Rivers or that of Kano. That is out of context of reality. Get together, see what your resource base is, plan within that context. The issues of security, Cross River is geographically located in such a way that it is easy to give us security and have our people sleep well. The issues of hygiene for our state, basic education, basic healthcare facilities, release the local governments to work so that the bulk of our rural population can flourish. Show less greed and be more service propelled. If you do this, it doesn’t take much money. It is difficult, but let your people understand where you are. Plan with them, carry them along, show them respect and don’t say things you cannot do. Simple, and Cross Riverians will begin to follow, things will begin to get good again and people will begin to invest in Cross River again, and the big things we even see with our small size will begin to happen, that is how I want to run government in an honest, God-fearing manner, with our people as the prime object; you do these and it will be nice. That’s my purpose, my essence, our prayer, trusting God and with grace and our people behind us, we’ll make Cross Riverians happy again.

    One of the most striking things in your press conference texts this morning was the local government autonomy. You said you were going to restore it back to local governments. Looking at the funds coming to Cross River State, the lean resources and all of that, we know that most governors depend solely on local government finances to execute projects. You’ve been a local government chairman before, how do you intend to release all these funds that have accrued to the local government if you become the governor of Cross River state?

    The situation we have now with the local government is that they are treated with absolute disdain and the local government chairmen are not taken into account when planning is being done and given the impression that the money they have is not their own. That’s the impression I want to take away. Yes, the state may be in a position where you need to cooperate with the local government system for you to organically and totally survive. But you must approach them with dignity. There must be a buy-in, because you cannot completely confiscate with their resources and they begin to look like beggars. You will rather partner with them even if you’re going to depend on some of their resources, leave them with enough resources to be the local government that the constitution expects them to be. That is why I’m saying we will cooperate and partner with the local government system and allow them meaning, allow them resources to operate, because the bulk of our people depend on the local government system to survive. When I was chairman of Etung Local government, God knows, whenever we received allocation, there’s momentum in Ikom market. Immediately you go to the market, you will hear that the local government has received allocation. But now, you won’t know if local governments have received allocation or not. Now, it is the state that receives allocation and the local governments are just there, the officers don’t function anymore, the local government don’t do projects anymore. Even when they pretend that the local governments are doing projects, they will midwife all of those projects from the centre in such a way that nothing comes out of it that is reasonable. I will ensure that we reverse that trend, on my honour. And we will create an economy at the rural areas where young people will begin to learn the rudiments of democracy. You’re a councillor in the local government system, you should have resources enough to practice what it means to be a councillor. You’re a chairman, you should likewise have resources to leave a legacy. I was a chairman in Etung, I left a legacy in projects and proper administration. We must get back to that. We will grow from there to the state and national, that’s the complete package.

    This isn’t a signed document, but it is a departure from the past where we are just doing things without any concrete document to back it up. Should we then hold this paper and if it pleases God to make you governor, to come to you one day and say Oga, this is what you told us, is it working the way it is working?

    You can take the paper to the bank.

    The fear of so many Cross Riverians and some critical stakeholders are that you are being sponsored from outside, and that if they finally allow somebody from the central zone to emerge as governor come 2023 it will cause some disaffection, disunity and discontent in the state. What is your impression about this?

    I will like you to give me your ears please. I’ve heard all those kinds of stories, that I am being sponsored from outside, that I have a friend called Nyesom Wike, let me help you by mentioning his name; and that when I become governor, he’s the one sponsoring and funding me and when I become governor, I’m answerable to him and all that. Let me take it in two parts. Has there been anybody from Cross River State who has become governor without support from people outside? No. Then why is my own so different?

    When Clement Ebri became governor, for all of you who know, it was common knowledge that Tom Ikimi helped him become governor. Donald Duke became a member of the economic intelligence unit with Professor Sam Aloko; it’s common knowledge that it added to his contacts and exposure and men like Dangote were behind him. Ben Ayade and the story of Tompolo is all over the place. Liyel Imoke did not become governor because he was a superman. He had supports from everywhere; even the fact that he’s resigning from the Obasenjo government, he had to approach people from elsewhere to help him. People say all politics is local, but please let me add a rider to that, tell them that Professor Sandy Onor says yes, but all politics is also universal. You want to be councillor, ordinary councillor, most of the time, you are made councillor by people from other places as well as a chairman, recommendation comes from other places. You want to be senator, you must have contacts across this country. You want to be governor, ah you must have friends across the states and at the national. You want to be become president, you must have international links and contacts. Those who are speaking about me and my relationship with Wike are intellectually lazy. It is a given. Even all those who are contesting with me now all have friends from outside who are giving them support and showcasing them. Why is my relationship with Wike such a big deal? It is because he’s the one who has put his life, resources, time and energy maximally to the survival of the PDP and I’m very proud of my relationship with Wike.

    Now let me say this, if Governor Wike were supporting just anybody, they won’t say anything but he’s supporting the Original Caterpillar.
    On my own as an individual, I’ve got vibes and momentum in the established force of the politics of our state. I have, by the grace of God, made a name. I come from a little place called Nsofang in the middle of the tropical rain forest. As I speak with you now, I’m just trying to make sure the road to my village is motorable because we’ve never had a road. It is the grace of God that has taken me thus far. But on my own, I’ve done well for myself.

    I was the best graduating student of history in 1987. By 1988, at age 22, I returned to the university to teach as graduate assistant. Then it was the policy of the university that all best graduating students should go back and teach. I started my masters in 1988 but by dint of my exceptional brilliance and performance, I was advised to do a PhD. So, I have no master’s degree. I have a BA (Hon), PhD, and I got my PhD just as I was turning 27. Was Nyesom Wike there? No! I returned to the University in 2016. I’m a professor of history. Is it Wike that made me? I was a chairman of Etung local government, that was where Nyesom and I met. I became chairman of local government service commission; I became commissioner for agriculture and later commissioner for environment. In 2005 as chairman local government service commission, the former governor, Donal Duke considered me fit and proper to be one of the few Cross Riverians, led by Wayas, to be sent to the political reforms conference and I performed very well in that conference. I went to the senate in 2019; within three months in the senat,e I was declared orator of the 9th senate. Was it Nyesom Wike that crowned me orator?
    So, on my own, I have the qualities and these men know. You people should investigate. You’re journalists. Most of the people who are against my ambition to be governor think that they can’t turn and twist me and make me a pun. But they didn’t know that I will listen to everybody. One of the hallmarks of a good intellectual is the ability to listen, because you will know that, the more you know that you know only little.

    One of the things governors do after elections is to, for instance, do their local government tour across the state, listen to the people and their needs. Don’t stay in Calabar and pontificate on a high horse as if the people don’t know anything, I will consult and I will talk to the press all the time at intervals. And I don’t mind ugly questions, I have the capacity to deal with beautiful and ugly questions. So I am good and fine. The issue of being sponsored from outside, like I said, is a perspective that is intellectually lazy at best.

    On the second part, I have made the point that we’ve never had a tradition of zoning in Cross River. If you have facts to contradict that fact, please I challenge you all to bring them up, and we will deal with them here. There are no such facts. Those who are giving the impression that if the central takes it, there will be crisis are those who are imagining that other sections of the state can be intimidated. Nobody can be intimidated. It is politics we are playing and not political anthropology. Nobody made the south the first born of Cross River politics. It’s a new round we are going into, compete for it. Let the eagle perch, let the kite also perch, he who says the other should not perch, let his wings break.

    Someone had told us that in 2015, you had a short departure from the PDP to Labour party and within that time, in the course of bringing the Ayade government into limelight, they had negotiations and they said PDP caucus zoned the governorship to the north. From 1999, we all know there was no zoning but in 2015, by whatsoever desire, we had Donald Duke from the South, Liyel Imoke from the Central and there was clamour from the north. In 2015, the caucus of the PDP sat with a proviso like they said (because I don’t have the document), and they zoned it to the north. So, I want you to address that issue, whether or not there was zoning to the north and with a proviso, for power to return back to the south in 2023.

    Assuming but not conceding that there was that kind of arrangement; let me take your mind back. 1999, as you admitted, there was no zoning. South and north contested and south won. In 2007, central and north contested and central won. The south took, the central took through a struggle. It was only one senatorial zone that had not taken. So what happened in 2015 was a cessation and not zoning. Power was ceded to the north, not zoning. If there were zoning, why was it that in 2019 when Ben Ayade had just done four years, somebody from the South (Eyo Ekpo), and somebody from the Central (John Owan Enoh) ran the elections? Why? So where was the zoning? So I have described it ably as a mere cessation, inevitably, understandingly, no more, no less. You know that in this state, there are a set of persons that have held the state by the jugular, who has made it their own property; so they must give us leaders. They are the ones who are bringing all this kind of false theories so that again, they can produce the next governor. It won’t work, by the grace of God.

    In the event that, you become the candidate of PDP and your fellow contestants or aspirants try to go to other parties to vote against you, what will you do? Secondly, the governor, Ben Ayade’s administration has lots of projects that majority of Cross Riverians are not sure will come to fruition, if you come into power, will you continue those projects?

    When we get to that bridge, we will cross it.