A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Kingsley Wenenda Wali, in an interview with Blessing Ibunge, speaks on salient issues, particularly the reported shutting down of businesses owned by perceived political foes of Governor Nyesom Wike. Excerpts:
How would you describe politics in Rivers State?
I found it extremely strange when I hear people trying to say that politics in Rivers state is unique. It is a normal type of politics all over the whole places. The drama is usual, is normal. So there is nothing really strange about Rivers politics that is different from what is obtained from other states.
There has been so much criticism on governance in the state. What is your opinion on this?
I believe that the fundamental responsibility of a government is the security and welfare of the people being governed. Every politician, those in government will say they have kept to their social contract with the people, while those in opposition will almost always disagree with that position because there is something always to talk about. In Rivers state particular, you have the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in opposition. The disagreement in politics here have been very profound, the opposition feel that the government has not done enough in terms of employment, social welfare, commerce. I really do not want to dramatise the governance in Rivers state, because I like to look at the areas the government have done well. I am one of those people who believe in the urban renewal effort of the government of Governor Nyesom Wike is something that even if you shut your eyes you will see it. Some have disagreed with the spread in terms of structural development. But I would have loved to see a situation where the hospitals, the schools built by the last administration are equipped and running, unfortunately I don’t know how the government can defend that schools built are abandoned. Yes, the government will say they funded the Rivers State University, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education but again, what have we done at the primary, secondary level, in terms of scholarship because I know the RSSDA that the last administration put in place was to take care of the scholarship issue which is fundamental to educational growth of any society, but this present government have not done anything in that regard instead it shutdown the organisation that is taking care of the indigent.
In terms of agriculture, I don’t know what the government has done. They have done practically nothing because the Songai Farm have been rundown, the Banana Farm in Ogoni area was burnt down, the Fish Farms in Buguma and some other places have been abandoned, and these are things that would have created not just food, but employment, create development of some sort in these areas. Well, the government has done a couple of things but I think there is some continuity in project development but I have problem with linkage. For example, the government have done great things like; Nigerian Law School Campus in Port Harcourt, but I am asking myself could that be taken to Ahoada, Degema, Etche, Bori or somewhere and it has to drive development in those areas. Look at the Law School in Abuja, is in Bwari which is driving development in that part of Abuja. So, I would have expected the governor to replicate the same policy here but unfortunately, everything is still within the same area choking development. Is it about awarding contracts or there is a policy to create a new kind of city. Port Harcourt is choked already; one would have thought that some of these projects would have helped to spread the town a bit. None of those projects were cited in the Greater Port Harcourt area. So what was that for, it means that it is a useless effort. For me in terms of governance, it is really difficult to draw a line between ego-tripping and policy that is supposed to develop the state.
Recently, Governor Nyesom Wike gave a directive to security operatives to shutdown some business outlets in Port Harcourt city, alleging that the owners were allowing their properties to be used for illicit activities bridging security of the state. What is your take on that action?
Yeah, I have heard people talk about it that this government has not done anything in trying to create employment opportunities for people rather, they are shutting down businesses.
It is a kind of funny situation that you are unable to create employment. In terms of commerce, the city is almost gone. You go to Trans-Amadi which used to be the hub of commerce and industry in this town, all the warehouses have become churches. So, I begin to ask myself, what is the morale behind shutting down businesses all because of political reflexes, what is the government driving at. These are acts of vendetta as far as I’m concerned and impacting very negatively on the people.
When you see the social problems that we have in this town; It is not because by instinct we have criminals in this town who naturally would decide to do criminal activities, but the point is that commerce is dead in the town, when a young man wakes up in the morning there is nowhere to go to. If you don’t create commerce in the state, you don’t create employment, you lack the moral authority whatsoever to do anything in the business that would throw people into the job market again. So I think that there are better ways of getting involved in politics or getting involved in your political battles, but closing down businesses, I’m sorry I might use the word, it’s a bit harsh, is mindless and it cannot be justified.
As APC supporter, how would you describe the happenings in the party, some of the members are resigning for other political parties in search of their preferred political dreams?
That is normal in political parties. Peter Obi, the latest mantra of the youth was a member of the PDP and resigned to join Labour Party. So if anybody resigns from APC and join PDP, it’s normal. The current member of the House of Representatives from Etche, Ephraim Nwizi, came in from PDP. The current House of Representatives member from Oyigbo/Eleme federal constituency came from PDP to the APC. So is not one way traffic, is over dramatisation of what is happening. I would have wished those who left didn’t leave because everybody has some value that can be added to the political process but they have left, I don’t see how it’s going to impact on me. There are people who will probably defect to PDP and some will probably remain in PDP and still work for the APC candidate or the SDP candidate or the Accord candidate. So it’s not a one way traffic. It’s even better that people are getting up and leaving, so you know who truly is a member of the party, would rather than people who are angry left, than they remain and be sabotaging the efforts of the party because PDP will now have a taste of what happened to the APC in 2018, 2019 when members of the APC, some people will stay back in APC and ensured that APC was out of the ballot.
I am one of those who think that it is anti democracy for people to strive to remove people from the ballot. The ultimate decision maker when it comes to choices is Nigerian people. Don’t present them with a fake situation where their choices are knocked out through technical noises and you become governor, senator or member of house of representative by default. In that instance, the people’s voice have not been expressed, their choices have not been expressed. So I would like everybody to contest, maybe the government will need to look at it, INEC will look at it and stop all of these blocking of political parties or candidates, not everybody who has an opportunity come up, especially if you have met the fundamental legal requirements. Don’t use technical reasons to knock out people from the electoral process. So what I am saying in a nutshell is that people leaving the APC is not the cause of too much concern for me as an individual. What they have done is that they have created the space for other person that knows what it takes to run a political process. So it’s not anybody’s will, like I said earlier on, I regretted that they had to leave because some of the people I have dealt with, some of them are people that I know have value. Not everybody that left APC have value. Some people have had their profile enhanced by being members of the APC and being associated with the leaders of APC.
What you are saying in essence is that the defection of the key members of the APC pose no challenge to the party ahead of the 2023 in Rivers?
Politics is a game of numbers. If you had 10 people and one person leaves irrespective of how you are able to weigh him, you have lost one person. Your opponent has gained one person. So I would rather that the person did not leave, but if the person leaves it becomes incumbent to work hard enough so that you can make an appropriate replacement. To say that the APC is going to lose their election because some people left the party is a big lie.
On the national security, do you think the federal government is doing enough to ensure total peace and security of the its citizens across the country?
Hopeless! I can’t come to terms with the exact words to use to describe our present security situation. Pathetic and it’s worse because I think the government has not done enough in terms of communicating to the people about what they are doing. I suspect sabotage. I suspect political insecurity, politically motivator or manufacture insecurity because like I always tell people that insecurity in Nigeria is fashionable, a motion from one to the other, Niger Delta kidnapping initially, then it moved to the northeast, moved to the northwest banditry, it moved to the north central, the Fulani herdsmen and farmers crisis from there it now moved to banditry, a bit of kidnapping and all of that in the west, the southwest and kidnapping in the southeast. I cannot see a pattern and they are more intense towards every election. I aligned myself wih the luxury of saying it’s looking more to me like they are politically motivated. But that is not enough reason for the government to just act as if these things will just go away. As a government there is a fundamental obligation you owe the people: their security, welfare and their well-being. Now, if people are not secured, especially in a country where the economy is not very complementary, the least the people can do at if they cannot fit well, let them sleep well at night. In situation where they cannot sleep well at night, cannot feed well and they cannot sleep well at night calls for serious concern, I think the President Muhammadu Buhari -led government has not done enough in trying to reassure the people that we are on top of the situation, rather than just talking about being on top of the situation because you are on top of the situation, something happens there are no consequences. You know, it was quite embarrassing a situation where we found people could go to Kuje and then release prisoners. Kuje is not one outskirt town, is not some boundary State or local government were people can just go and do something, is in the heart of the federal capital territory of Nigeria. So, it really worries me if this issue actually bothers Nigerian citizens. I don’t like making definitive statements on insecurity because I do not have information on what the challenges are. But my worry is that the government is not communicating enough with Nigerian people on the problem, on what they are doing to ensure you are safe. So, the security situation is pathetic. But the government should communicate more with the people and give them the confidence that they are doing something about it.
How do you think the present government can build the economy and attract more investors to Rivers state?
Even when you listen to the governor’s statements, his language is very combative. I don’t think anybody will want to invest in an economy that they don’t see any kind of comfort, the language of communication in that area is not civil. You know, even if the governor doesn’t want crisis, but his choice of words create impression that there will be fire the next morning, who want to come and throw money into a system where people are throwing tantrums, especially Chief Executive of the state in one direction? When you hear word like, ‘I’ll finish you’, ‘I will crush them’, it just create fear in the minds of investors. So let’s not even think about the possibility of anybody coming to invest in Port Harcourt, not in the present type of communication that we have in Rivers State.
What is your advice to the stakeholders, politicians, including the poor masses in the state for the future development of the state?
People should just realize that politics is all about service, is about development. If politics are about service and development, why do you want to crush anybody? Why must everybody agree with you? Why must government do things that are not what you want, then the government has failed? Let’s learn to encourage the good things that the government has done so that the government too can be listening to you. The government will not feel that they owe you any duty to listen to even when you are exercising them, it becomes like we are against them. That’s the only challenge I have with our politics, it is not a rural thing, is a Nigerian thing. I am in PDP or APC or Accord party, we only have political differences, we are not mortal enemies. We are not here to kill ourselves because you said you want to come and serve people, why do you want to destroy society that you want to serve the people. So I think the language of communication has to be civil and people must realize that you don’t run any government from the breast pocket. Why are we wasting money electing members of the House of Assembly if the projects that we want in our communities are not debated? There’s no plan. I want to have a situation where the Governor of Rivers state can set up a team and come up with a development. The state should be developed rationally and not concentrating development in one particular part of the state. Your actions must speak towards what you considered the best interest of the community.
Recently, you had your 60th birthday celebration, how were you able to gather almost all the political giants of different parties to the ceremony?
These are my friends we all grew up together, so my family and all of that. It would have been a shame if I invited them for my 60th birthday and because of political consideration, they did not turn up at the time. I thank God, that my friends honoured me irrespective of political party. That is just to confirm to you that politics is politics and family is family. We were one family, anyway you want to look at it, APC will come, APC will go someday. Well, we pray that the politics is stable enough that the APC,PDP, SDP, Accord, all of them will stay forever. But something was existing before these parties came and that is our community, our families. Our families and our communities remain here. Let’s not politicize our relationship to the extent that somebody in one party we can no longer communicate. I tried personally to rise above political relationships, I don’t care where you come from or which party you come from, you remain my friend. Even if you are in a party that I do not have sympathy for, for God’s sake we must draw a line to hold political conversations and where to hold conversation that affects us as friends. But if like my mother would always say that whatever disagreement you have with anybody, you must create space for good morning. Like I said, people are talking about it, how I was able to bring others to my birthday celebration, is just to let people know that you can hold your political opinion and still keep your friends, it’s very important.
