Illegal refining: Why I won’t insult governor Wike ― Princewill

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Governorship candidate of Labour Party in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, has said he would not join issues with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the state chapter of People’s Democratic Party over recent verbal attacks over his comments on the nefarious activities of those behind illegal refining of crude oil in the South-South state.

Publicity Secretary of the PDP Rivers State, Tambari Sydney Gbara, had accused Princewill of playing politics with the unsavoury development over the latter comment that Governor Wike should not only address illegal refining but its root causes.

The APC chieftain in a separate statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja maintained his position that empowerment of teeming youths in Rivers State would go a long way in surmounting illegal refining which he admitted was inimical to the health of Rivers citizens and its overall economic development and growth.

While he commended Governor Wike for infrastructural development, the former Governorship candidate said creating industries that would engage idle youth remained a better option than giving jeeps to loyal party chieftains and construction of flyovers.

The statement read in part:” In my very brief statement on the 5th of February, that my detractors took over a week to scramble to respond to, I commended the Governor for his stance against illegal refining but did two other things in addition. I asked one, that he also addresses the root causes of illegal refining. And two, that he desists from playing politics with it. Not sure which of the salient points I raised, irked my detractors, but the fact that they called me, both a nobody and a statesman in the same paragraph, suggests enough to their frame of mind. Whenever you cannot recognize advice, you need leadership glasses.

“We all woke up to the black soot this morning, including the Governor and there is still no end in sight. A lot of motion, no movement. Let me repeat my advice, at the risk of yet another press release. “Be tough on illegal refining, but also be tough on the causes of the illegal refining, of which number 1 is the lack of jobs for the youth. People can not stand in water and soap will be entering their eyes. How many new industries have we brought in, how many businesses? Is it better to be loyal to jeeps and give them flyovers or be loyal to our many youths and women and give them a means of livelihood? These are the questions. I suggest we do all of the above and more, but give priority to the women and youths and spread development.

“Not everything is about politics. Let me assure the PDP people listening that the next government will not discriminate against you. No matter your leanings, you will be safe. What I expect of you is to love your state far more than you love your party. Think about your children and the children they will have to face. I’ve refused to abuse Wike, not because I cannot. All the angels know Wike has plenty of faults. I refuse to abuse him because that’s all we hear in the news. APC abuses PDP, etc. Princewill tackle Wike and vice versa. Meanwhile, our children are dying. This is the wrong message to send. After Wike has gone, nobody should touch him. I won’t support it. We have to move on. This season of bitterness has to end.

“People who want to bring in their money to invest in Rivers, need to feel welcome. They need to know that we are jolly good fellows. They need to know that we are all brothers and sisters here. Not political zealots, always on the attack, looking for who to smear. I know we can not change overnight, but I can play my part. It was Tonye Cole who taught me that it is not only physical violence that we should be avoided, we should be avoiding verbal violence as well. If we want to keep on getting what we have been getting, we should keep on doing what we have been doing. But if we here want a more prosperous Rivers state, we really really really need peace. A word is enough for the wise. Not that we can not wage war. Nobody loves war more than me when the cause is just. But will we govern over dead people?

“Thank you for your time. Where there is a will, there is a way. And my name is Princewill.”

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