Introduction
Nyesom Wike came into the Brick House, the seat of power in Port Harcourt, in a blaze of fire, after his party lost at the centre. He sat tight for almost two years, executing projects. Next, he began to visit states around the south-south and south-east, obviously building a strong southern base.
Now, he has begun to build an international alliance that may play crucial roles in the coming years. Many say he wants to run for the vice presidency, others say he wants to present a formidable bulwark to protect the southeastern bloc against the ruling party in the coming elections. Whichever the case, Governor Wike is seen to build strong home bloc backed by an array of visible projects, a regional political force, and an international image that may make him a big force in the coming years.
Wike, a lawyer, began as council chairman of the richest local council area in the Niger Delta, Obio/Akpor, which plays host to the likes of Shell and some of the biggest oil service corporations like Schlumberger and Saipem. He upped the local revenue game by introducing what has come to be known as the ‘Obi Akpor Boys’, the aggressive way of extracting revenue from dodgers. Wike later became the pillar in the Chibuike Amaechi faction of the Peter Odili political dynasty and helped Amaechi to win the battle to power after Odili. He became chief of staff and later was sent to Abuja as minister to work under Goodluck Jonathan.
He was to emerge as Jonathan’s defender and pillar in the Jonathan/Amaechi wars. He snatched the ticket to be governor and won against all odds even when Jonathan lost Aso Rock. He has wielded the power in the Brick House like that of Aso Rock and is seen to be expanding the powers and influence to capture back Aso Rock to wipe away tears from his weeping party.
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The journey to New York
Wike seemed to know exactly what he wanted to go abroad for, what to achieve and how to achieve it. He seemed to prepare well. It was not just to jump in and jump out with an award but an elaborate trip to do many things. His retinue would testify to the nature of the visit, especially the presence of his topmost and best media managers. He accommodated almost every sector of his moving train. A chief and elder statesman, Emma Anyanwu was on hand. He had two strong loyalists and members of the Federal House of Representatives, Ken Chikere and Betty Apiafi. There was the former minister, Tammy Danagogo, and the strong ally and member of the cabinet, Emma Okah who is the Commissioner for Information. There is A. J. Berdugo, an executive assistant to the Governor. There is also a strong media lady, versatile in the Western world, Dornu Kobara, once an Amaechi loyalist.
Exploit
The first important news out of New York was that Wike on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, joined some other world leaders to commit to green city initiative through the development of cities that integrate environmental integrity, economic prosperity and cultural vibrancy. Wike said such was what the International Green Model City Initiative was all about and was out to accomplish. The governor was among 12 leaders from different continents of the world who made commitments and pronouncements to symbolically sustain cities across the world.
Wike said: “As clearly captured by the speakers, the basic concept of the initiative is to create a city that is designed with the consideration of environmental impact. The objective is to resolve the problems of global warming, resource and energy constraints and other social problems associated with rapid urbanisation and population growth.”
He went on: “The United Nations projects that over half of the world’s population now lives in cities and urban settlements, and this figure will increase to about 70 percent by 2050. Evidently, rapid urbanisation is responsible for most of the environmental and social problems in most parts of the world”.
This immediately gave hints that the Greater Port Harcourt City which was started by his bitter master and predecessor and which was seen to be slowing down could bounce back. As if that was so, two big deals were signed back home in Port Harcourt at the new head office of the Authority when two developers (Sammy and Masta) signed to build 5000 modern houses and create over 6000 jobs in the process.
Award in New York
Wike was honoured in New York, the centre of global diplomacy and political deal-wheeling with the “Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award” and was described as a positive leader.
The award was said to be in recognition of his efforts to develop Port Harcourt as a city and reduce slums at an event to mark the 2017 World Cities Day organised by the Global Forum on Human Settlements & Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements. The governor said his state has made a commitment to progressively provide infrastructure and social services that would enhance the living standards of the Rivers’ people.
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The governor described the initiative as very laudable, saying it is the way to go, especially for those in Africa where the associated problems of rapid population growth, sprawling urban development and unsustainable exploitation of resources are impacting negatively on the environment, sustainable use of resources and the quality of life of the people.
According to him, “What is left is to intensify the campaign for a successful global buy-in of this initiative in city development planning and implementation across the globe.”
Video footage explaining the premise upon which Wike received the award lauded him for reducing urban slums and bridging poverty gaps. The footage further praised the Rivers State Governor for his positive leadership, provision of infrastructure and basic amenities.
Secretary of Global Forum on Human Settlements and Main Representative to the United Nations, Lu Haifeng, urged leaders across the world to step up investments in the development of sustainable cities.
Counter-punch from home:
The political crisis in Rivers State ensures that nothing starts well and ends well in the state any more. Toasting Wike as a success at the highest point in the world is not expected to go unchallenged. Thus, a statement rang out from the opposition back home, saying the group that gave him the award on behalf of the UN was not recognised.
The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chris Fineface, issued something that looked like a disclaimer from the secretary-general of the UN. “Following our e-mail inquiry dated Monday 30th October (yesterday) concerning the Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award organised by SCAHSA, the UN-Habitat New York Office, in a statement dated same day and signed by the Secretary and IT Focal Point, Angel Gomez, dissociated the UN from such an award. The response is reproduced hereunder: “Dear Mr Finebone, We thank you for contacting UN-Habitat New York Office. Please be advised that UN-Habitat is not related at all with such award.”
The opposition went on: “For the avoidance of doubt, it must be explained that the deliberate attempt to confer UN recognition on the purported award is a huge scam to deceive Rivers people and Nigerians. Further investigations by us revealed that SCAHSA is a private Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that invites entries for awards which are based on suspect criteria including offering awards to the highest bidder who is able to part with a huge amount in USDollars in exchange for such awards.
“In the instance, concerning the purported award to Gov. Nyesom Wike, we discovered that some smart Rivers indigenes resident in the US contrived and fixed the award after obtaining huge sums in foreign currency from the award-seeking governor.
“SCAHSA has been discovered to be one of the numerous NGOs that claim affiliation with various UN-Habitat under Habitat Agenda Partners (HAP). However, some of these NGOs have now become vehicles for defrauding politicians from the third world especially Nigerian politicians by offering dubious awards in exchange for money.”
London: the great chat in Chatham House
The Wike team seemed to brush aside the belle-aching at home over the governor’s exploits in New York. After all, could 12 other great persons in the world be equally ‘deceived’ into a great award? Instead, the team concentrated on the next stop and the next global attention, an appearance in Chatham House, the great centre of global political evaluation. Wike worked under Amaechi and must have known what Chatham House appearance did for his estranged mentor. He must also know what that centre did to make Muhammadu Buhari acceptable to the West and to the global business decision-makers. The opposition seemed ready for him too. Yet, Wike made his appearance even if the detractors had their say. Such is democracy.
The EU and the West are still jubilating from the job they said they did in 2015 with what they regard as the best election in Nigeria, according to departing Michael Arrion. Now, the same West is being called to duty. Now, talking to the world, Wike took on the garb of an emerging global statesman and rather declared that there was an urgent need for the international community to save Nigeria’s democracy from imminent collapse by mounting sufficient pressures on the APC-led Federal Government to uphold the rule of law and guarantee the integrity of the electoral system.
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Wike also stated that the current flawed revenue sharing formula in the country has made development difficult in states as the Federal Government carts away 53 per cent of national revenue, while the 36 states share a meagre 22 percent. He must know better, having served in the thick of the centre and now the thick of the state. Many however would wonder why Nigerian leaders become activists soon after failing to correct things while they were there, just like Peter is doing now.
Wike spoke on ‘Defining Development for Rivers State and Steps to Sustainable Implementation’. The governor said: “Obviously when 22 percent of national revenue is disaggregated among 36 states, what comes to each state is not more than 0.6 percent on the average per annum, which by any stretch of the imagination, is incapable of funding serious developmental programmes for any state”.
He said the country is in serious political and economic decline, pointing out that Nigeria is presently caught up in a serious existential crisis, which he said was self-evident. According to Governor Wike: “The politicisation and active involvement of key national institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Police in the rigging of the re-run elections in Rivers State was not only an affront to democracy, such acts constitute a serious invitation to chaos with destructive consequences of unknown dimensions”.
The governor explained to the International Community that despite generating a huge percentage of the nation’s resources, Rivers State has suffered untold neglect and deprivation by the Federal Government over the years.
“For instance, the Federal Government has not undertaken any new development project in the state for the last two decades. Even the existing ones, such as the Port Harcourt International Airport, the two seaports and the East-West highway have severely degenerated without attention for years. These are important economic projects that needed to function maximally to drive the socio-economic development of the state, yet the Federal Government continues to turn blind eyes to them with impunity”.
Wike seemed on point on these points such as the need for restructuring and agitations against the neglect of Rivers State, but opposition analysts listening back home led by Fineface, however, recalled that demands for restructuring were met deaf ears when he was in power just a few years back with his master, Jonathan. They also said neglect against the oil state was what Amaechi was crying against Wike and Jonathan.
Wike shows efforts despite federal neglect
The governor chatted on, showing how he is handling the neglect of the state. He said: “We picked up this challenge as a matter of urgent priority by launching the “Operation Zero Pothole Programme” on our first day in office, which has successfully repaired and cleared most of our streets and roads of potholes.
“Thereafter, we dedicated an unprecedented 65 percent of the state’s capital expenditure to the provision of infrastructure. As at today, we have committed over 170 billion naira to construct, upgrade and expand several roads, bridges and jetties and linking up communities and settlements across the entire state”.
The governor added: “We increased public spending on education from 4.2 percent to about 10 per cent on the average and deployed substantial resources for the renovation and equipping of over 180 basic education and secondary schools across the State to improve the quality of education at that level.
“We have also constructed, upgraded and rehabilitated several faculty buildings, lecture halls, workshops, staff offices as well as student hostels in all the tertiary institutions. These interventions have expanded access, improved quality and placed our tertiary institutions on the path to producing the skillful and innovative graduates that we need to drive the development of the state and the nation.
“Within the last two years of our administration, we have renovated 13 general hospitals in 13 local government areas of the state, established a teaching hospital for the State University to train medical personnel as well as restarted work on the construction of 3 regional health facilities and a mother and child hospital which were started but abandoned by the previous administration.
“We recognise the importance of the private sector in the healthcare delivery system. Consequently, we have also supported private hospitals in the State with interest-free revolving loans to enable them to improve their facilities and deliver better services to the public”.
Wike declared: “I want to assure you that our resolve is strong, our commitment to Rivers State and our people remain unchanged and unchangeable. We shall continue to do our best within the limits of available resources to deliver on our development priorities to the State on sustainable bases and enhance the wellbeing of our people.”
Chairman of the presentation, a noble, Richard Gozneyle, who was High Commissioner to Nigeria (2004 to 2007), noted that Rivers State is important to the development of Nigeria and plays a significant role in regional affairs.
Incumbent British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, who attended Governor Wike’s presentation, urged him to continue to work for the improvement of security in the state for the increase in foreign direct investments.
And the other chatters…
Many tuned to hear good tidings, many others may have tuned in to hear scandals and controversies. Both got something to hear from the Chat in Chatham House to the clattering outside. The APC team in Port Harcourt said they heard grouses and grumblings from angry Rivers scholars not paid for years. The party said Rivers’ students who had been living as destitute in London and environs had managed to gather in their numbers and with angry placards and besieged the Chatham House building chanting angry songs to the disgrace of the governor, his travel party and Chatham House officials who were stunned at the development today. They sent down photos to show this.
The party said it had earlier enumerated the very difficult times many of those students were passing through in foreign lands. “While some squat and beg to feed, others live on the streets having been ejected by their residential owners. Worse still, nearly all of the students have long been stopped from attending classes and writing exams in their various universities.”
The opposition went on: “Sensing that his visit might ignite an uncontrollable reaction from the stranded students, Gov. Wike recently announced his intention to release $1million to pay the fees of some of the students. We warned that the governor only made the announcement just to avert the looming protests that awaited him in London. Today, it came to pass. The debacle today around Chatham House in London was long foretold. The irony of it all is that what manifested today in faraway London was a collective shame to our people. The APC is saddened to note that while Gov. Wike went in search of a foreign audience for his drama theatre, back home RSSDA officials who did the nitty-gritty to send the students overseas are still wallowing in penury with over 24 months unpaid salaries owed them by the governor. The APC calls on prominent Rivers sons and daughters not to keep quiet and allow Gov. Nyesom Wike ride roughshod over the people especially toying with the future of our youths as if Rivers State is a state of nitwits. Rivers State needs urgent salvation from the hands of a rampaging governor who believes that anything is fair game in politics.”
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There was no protest – Wike media team
Some newsmen took the inquiry back to Wike’s media team present with the governor in London. The commissioner for information, a seasoned media manager and lawyer, said there was no protest against the governor in London. He said it was a student who pleaded to have an audience with the governor on the matter that had been addressed by the governor and was obliged. He said the Chatham House appearance went well and had no incident, but wondered why the Amaechi administration that sent the scholars abroad failed to pay the debts before leaving.
This position was followed up by an article by the governor’s special adviser on electronic media, Simeon Nwakaudu, who is de facto, Chief Press Secretary. He called it the ‘Struggle to conceal the Message: The APC Failed Strategy at Chatham House’. He traced how the online organ that released the photos was working for Amaechi and how they do not cover the truth, digging from his days as a media aide to Wike as a minister.
He wrote: “For the avoidance of doubt, on foreign scholarships, Governor Wike reiterated that the state government will pay for final year students in critical science courses, while those studying arts courses were advised to return to Nigeria with the Rivers State Government footing their bills. This was the same message that he relayed to the few students who met him outside in the company of other Rivers indigenes. He simply referred them to his position when their leader spoke inside and admonished them against being unruly.
“The APC even went a step further by engaging in photoshop of pictures that super-imposed youths who were nowhere close to the Chatham House. The videos released by the same APC never showed more than a single placard. On that placard, the few students requested for a minute from the governor. The governor gave them the deserved attention as a leader.
“It must be stated that the Governor has paid about N1.5billion for the foreign scholarships since he took over. Amaechi’s administration despite receiving over N3 trillion as revenue left this liability with debts in the region of several billion as admitted by the representative of the students.”
A case for Rivers economy
While in London, the global centre for business connections, the governor tried to brush aside distractions to link his state’s economy to global nerves. He told a team of investors in his meetings in London that Rivers State was back on stream and was now a willing and reliable partner for those willing to come over to the state for investments.
Wike said this while being hosted to a launch meeting by the top echelon of the West Minster Africa Business Group, an assembly of select British parliamentarians and the British business community.
Governor Wike and his entourage were received at the Scottish Club in London by the vice-chairman of West Minster Africa Business Group, Tim Johnsen, in the company of other members of the group. The Governor was thereafter led into the lavish Victorian edifice of the club where both the governor’s team and West Minster Africa Business Group held talks on collaborative efforts to promote investment growth in Rivers State and on strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
Meanwhile, the governor led a delegation of top government functionaries to the Financial Times of London. The governor during the visit opened talks and secured the partnership of the world’s leading business publication in both promoting the Rivers State’s brand and her investment opportunities on the global stage.
Governor Wike was received on arrival at Financial Times’ headquarters in London by Mark Carwardine, Commercial Director, Africa and The Middle East and Larry Kenny, Sales Manager for Africa and the Middle East.
Governor Wike during the visit sought and received the partnership of the Financial Times of London in driving business opportunities in Rivers State. He also used the opportunity of the visit to ask for greater spot-light on Nigeria due to the failing nature of her democracy, which according to him was undermining development and investment opportunities in the country.
Conclusion
Governor Wike must have concluded his long trip to London starting from New York. Many say he went to sell Port Harcourt and Nigeria; others said he went to sell himself, but some claim he went to de-market the FG. Whatever be the real assignment of the trip, the results would soon begin to show. What is clear is that Port Harcourt and Rivers State have been in the global eye for a period, and the economy of the oil-rich state should definitely gain a notch or two henceforth; all things being equal.
Ignatius Chukwu, Port Harcourt
