L-R: Chief Celestine Omehia, former Governor of Rivers State; Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Governor of Rivers State; Sen. Theodore A Orji, former Governor of Abia State; Dr.(Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Deputy Governor of Rivers State and Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly during the inauguration of reconstructed Rumuigbo, Chief Johnson Amadi, Igbodo, Finima, Rumuopareli, Bauchi, Ohia and Isaac Boro streets in Old GRA, Port Harcourt on Tuesday night.
Okafor Ofiebor/Rivers
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike says the credibility and integrity of the Zamfara State governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle is now at stake following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Rivers State Governor spoke during the inauguration of reconstructed Rumuigbo, Chief Johnson Amadi, Igbodo, Finima, Rumuopareli, Bauchi, Ohia and Isaac Boro streets in Old Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt on Tuesday evening.
He said the preoccupation of any governor who means well for his State ought to be the delivery of dividends of democracy to the citizenry and not to join the APC that has failed Nigerians.
“People must have respect for themselves. There are things I cannot do for the sake of my children. In 2019, Matawalle said I will never leave PDP. I will never disappoint PDP. If I disappoint PDP, I will never have peace in my life. Today, what has happened? Is everything politics? It is not true. Everything cannot be politics. Your credibility, your integrity is important in life. I will never betray my people.”
The governor said only spineless governors and politicians will succumb to threats and blackmail of the ruling APC to join the party or risk persecution.
According to him, only governors who cannot perform decamp to APC, primarily to seek protection from a party that is allegedly fighting corruption.
Rivers State Commissioner of Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi said the reconstructed eight streets have a combined length of 4.4km, an average road width of 9m (7m to 10m) and 3.7km of new drains.
“This project to the uninitiated will look merely like an improvement in the character of the road and its design speeds having been reconstructed and expanded, but it goes beyond the road. It not only improves the character of the neighbourhood and by extension our capital, it (the reconstruction) goes further to positively impact on real estate, security and much more, offering all the benefits associated with good road and transportation access.
“Most importantly, these roads have been built to last, freeing up funds for other needs in the future. It is said that it is always cheaper to do it well the first time thereby avoiding costly repairs and repeat works.”