12th December, 2019
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has called on ethnic nationalities seeking for governorship position in the state in 2023 to liaise with others, rather than take actions that would engender disunity.
He urged the Kalabari Ethnic Nationality and their leaders to be strategic in their quest for governorship, saying that the resort to needless propaganda would not work in their favour.
He spoke on Wednesday during a solidarity visit by the leaders and people of Kalabari Ethnic Nationality at the government house, Port Harcourt.
“You must have a strategy to get the governorship position. Quietly sit down with other ethnic nationalities and work towards the seat.
“The governorship seat cannot be gotten through the radio. It cannot be gotten through falsehood. There must be a strategy in place. Nobody gives you the governorship seat as a gift”, the governor explained, adding that if it were to be given as a gift, the people would not appreciate it.
Governor Wike reiterated that no single ethnic nationality in Rivers State could make a governor.
According to him, it takes the cooperation of all ethnic nationalities for a governor to emerge.
He warned all ethnic nationalities in the state against allowing criminals to act as their spokesmen, adding that when criminals assume the position of spokespersons, they only generate crises and threaten violence.
Commenting on OML 25, Governor Wike said that the owners of Belema Oil embarked on deliberate falsehood to mislead Kalabari people on the role played by the Rivers State Government to resolve the impasse.
He said that “the Chairman of Belema Oil met me and said that the Federal Government had agreed to extend the operating license of OML 25 to him.”
He said after the license was awarded to Shell, he urged Shell and the host communities to resolve their differences.
Wike urged the Chairman of Belema Oil to work for his people instead of generating tension. He said that the Rivers State Government displayed good faith when it handed him Certificate of Occupancy for 15 hectares of land earlier revoked by the immediate past administration in the State.
He urged Belema Oil to use her resources to develop Riverine communities where the company was operating.
On OML 11, Governor Wike said that the Rivers State Government was working for the interest of Rivers people, adding that the aim was to ensure that the host communities were joint owners of the oil facility.