12th AMA Awards Held in Port Harcourt: Gov. Wike's White Lies To The World

The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has observed with disappointment the continuous churning out of white lies to unsuspecting Rivers people, Nigerians and the world at the slightest opportunity by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.

The latest of this ignoble past time of the governor took place last Saturday during the 12^th African Movie Academy Awards [AMAA] that was gratuitously hosted by the governor to burnish and shore up his fledgling public image as a dangerous desperado who climbed on the blood of innocent people to become governor. Curiously, as Gov. Nyesom Wike was talking down his predecessor as having left no legacy, he was having good time at the poorly organized awards night in the magnificent Obi Wali International Conference Centre, an edifice built and named after an illustrious personage of Ikwerre land, late Dr. Obi Wali by the same predecessor and former boss of Nyesom Wike, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi CON.

The hosting of the AMA Awards by Gov. Nyesom Wike is only part of a well-calculated agenda to create image makeover for the governor at great cost to the Rivers taxpayer. But most significantly is the fact that each of the events ends up being held at one of the epochal landmark legacies conceptualized, built and commissioned by his predecessor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as against what Gov. Wike would want his audience, Nigerians and the world to believe. The Adokie Amiesimaka 40,000-seater magnificent stadium conceptualized and built by former Gov. Amaechi has hosted countless of such events by Gov. Wike even as he insists his predecessor did nothing. That is white lie number 1.

On the more important matter of security, Gov. Nyesom Wike is blaming everyone else but himself for the insecurity ravaging Rivers State. Hear him: "We have tackled insecurity with decisive steps in conjunction with the nation's security agencies, so much so that Rivers State has now become one of the safest places to visit, live and do business in the country. As a result, we have been hosting several local and national events to the joy and applaud of the organizers, participants and visitors" The APC would want Rivers people, Nigerians and the world to score this statement. However, we consider this statement the most criminal, insensitive and blatant lie told by man in this Century. Indeed, this is Wike's white lie number 2.

For the benefit of those who may not know, records show that over 35 souls were dispatched to the great beyond across Rivers State in a space of 5 days before the Saturday event. Cases of daylight robberies, shootings and killings are daily reported in Port Harcourt alone. Yet still, the governor mindlessly and unconscionably spewed his lies to the innocent audience in Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre main hall.

It is perhaps necessary to remind Gov. Nyesom Wike that the Information and Communications Technology [ICT] has collapsed the world into a small global village where information virtually circulates with the speed of sound. Much of Nigeria and the world know exactly what the security situation is in Rivers State, meaning that as the governor spoke at the event that night, many in the audience would have been quietly chuckling and wondering whether he just returned from outer space before attending the event.

The truth remains that two things appear to hold the key to immediate and relative peace (howbeit temporarily) in Rivers State and both are in the hands of the governor.

Firstly, Gov. Nyesom Wike must disarm his private armies and militants he used to kill and intimidate voters to enable him write election results for himself and his party candidates with the active connivance of Jonathan-era INEC and  security agents. His warning to the CTCs he recently appointed to fight insecurity in their LGAs is neither here nor there as it amounts to merely sending a thief to catch a thief. Secondly, Gov. Wike must go beyond appointing the leadership of his hoodlums and ex-militants as Caretaker Chairmen and members of LG Councils; he alone must devise the means of engaging the other ranks in his private armies who feel abandoned and have turned to robberies, killings, kidnapping and other common crimes as a means of subsistence.

The APC believes that no amount of casting blames on cult groups today or threatening oil companies tomorrow will bring peace in Rivers State. Gov. Nyesom Wike has served drinking water to the baboon and it is him that must retrieve the cup he used in serving the baboon. He has himself to blame, not cult groups and oil companies. Indeed, Gov. Nyesom Wike needs to look at himself in the mirror.