Nyesom Wike: The Golden Architect of A New Nigeria

By Simeon Nwakaudu

For every generation, there is a divine provision for the redemption of the people, especially in times of extreme difficulty and famine.  For Nigeria, this is the time for men of courage to stand up for the nation.

This is the time to build a new Nigeria, discard the aging players of old and set in motion the  process of national recovery and rebirth.

On December 13, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Commander of the Order of the Niger and Grand Service Star of Rivers State was born for such a time as this.

Imagine for a moment if there was no Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in the present political equation of the country. It would have been a one-way traffic in the reign of evil, the absurd, terror and economic sabotage.

The people of Rivers State first experienced the commitment and patriotic zeal of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike when he led the struggle for the actualisation of the PDP mandate in October 2007. Whilst  the principal beneficiary of that mandate escaped  into exile, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike staked his life at home, led the democratic forces and got back the  mandate.

 Fast forward to 2015, when agents of darkness, conspired with forces of retrogression  to sell Rivers State  into political slavery, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike once again staked his comfort to ensure that Rivers State  did not travel down the route of treachery, wanton theft of Rivers resources and the intimidation of the people.

Because the people of Rivers State knew Wike, they entrusted  their future in his hands.  Since his swearing-in, he has lived up to the expectations of the people, delivering projects and defending their rights.

 When the governor visited  Abia State in October, 2017, Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu said:

“I count Governor Wike as a special blessing, not only to our people, but to human kind. I thank God for the kind of courage that he has blessed Wike with. Today, he has come here. I pray that the blessing of Rivers State will follow Abia. “

The courage of Governor Wike has been  of immense benefit to the entire country. But for the principled resistance of Governor Wike, the nation’s judiciary would have been completely demolished by a rampaging APC Federal Government hiding under the dirty pretence  of fighting corruption.

The dirty ill-orchestrated raids on judges went on without anyone questioning the legality of the actions of the APC-led Federal Government.  When Governor Wike courageously intervened and demanded that the arrest of judges be done in line with the laws of the land, that trend of impunity stopped.

As he celebrated his birthday on December 13, Wike has shown that economic downturn is not an excuse  for developmental failure. He has transformed Rivers into a centre of sustained delivery of developmental projects, economic growth and growing security.

Reasons abound why he should fail, but failure was not an option for Governor Wike.  He understands the weight of the mandate handed over to him by the good people of Rivers State, hence his commitment to the rapid development of the state.

The results of his rugged projects delivery and economic development of Rivers State have inspired other state governors  to redefine their  goals and join the movement to develop their respective states.

In his determination to build the new Nigeria, Wike has reached out to governors and leaders across party lines. His interest has always been the rule of law, fiscal federalism, equitable distribution of resources, fair play, national rebirth , responsible management of security agencies and electoral reforms. To achieve the new Nigeria, governor has embarked on regular vocal advocacy to get the buy-in of Nigerians. This has transformed him into Nigeria’s most loved politician nationwide.

Wike on the streets is a delight. Nigerians celebrate him and appreciate his commitment to their welfare.  He is their icon of uprightness in a polity that has been mutilated by the APC Federal Government.

But by far, the most outstanding contribution of Rivers governor to the emergence  of the new Nigeria  is his role in the stabilisation and rebirth of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While several other leaders played hide and seek because of the terror tactics of the APC Federal Government, Governor Wike stood strong for the party.

Alongside a few other leaders from all the geo-political zones, the building blocks for the revival of the PDP were laid. This culminated in the very successful National Convention in Abuja after close to two years of struggle for the soul of the party.

Today, Nigeria now has a vibrant opposition party that has issued a quit notice to the non-performing APC Federal Government.

By his unwavering commitment to national unity and growth, Governor Wike has proved to Nigerians that every single individual and geo-political zone is an equal stakeholder in the Nigerian project. The era when the fate of the country is determined in one or two locations is gone.  Under this New Nigeria, all stakeholders are qualified to determine  how the nation develops.

In every clime, in every community, Nigerians are thankful that the political conscience of the nation is standing on their behalf. Even when the civil society and the media are quiet in the face of the unmitigated disaster that the APC Federal Government has become, Wike has been unrelenting in his pursuit of a better Nigeria. As we jointly uphold him in prayers, we further petition God to strengthen his capacity to withstand the evil forces of falsehood, propaganda and political blackmail that will be regularly hatched by the APC Federal Government and her media goons. The battle ahead is tougher, because the task of quitting a criminally-minded tenant is Herculean.

He has won countless awards over the years from international and indigenous organisations.  However, the greatest award of all is the love and support of Rivers people and Nigerians.

Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is a golden governor, with a golden age, leading the golden state of Rivers and investing wisely as the golden architect of a New Nigeria.  With him on the driver’s seat, we are sure to get to a golden destination.  Happy Birthday, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Nigeria’s Political Conscience.