There must be even development of Rivers, Princewill replies Wike

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Princewill, has said the incumbent governor of the State, Nyesom Wike should refrain from concentrating his efforts on providing social infrastructures for Rivers east senatorial zone in the state while others are marginalised.

Princewill in a statement gave the admonition in his reaction to remarks attributed to Governor Wike that Ikwerre would continue to get special attention in his administration social infrastructure drive.

The former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress, however, expressed the hope that other senatorial zones would get the attention they deserve after Governor Wike stewardship.

He said: ”Recently the Rivers Governor was overheard at an occasion saying that if he had his way, he would build 10 flyovers in Ikwerre land and nothing would happen. He went on to say that nobody else would do it for him.

”The secret audio recording which has now gone viral has elicited many ferocious reactions on social media and is once again the subject of a number of beer parlour discussions in and around Port Harcourt. While some have laughed him off, many have condemned his utterances as unbecoming of a Governor. Not me.

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”I want to put it on record that I agree with him. First of all, he is right, not a single thing will happen. Rivers men and women have been silenced like sheep and reduced to children who have no voice. The once pride of a nation is now a shadow of its former self and nobody is talking. They are waiting for men to come and speak for them.

”The other part he is right is nobody else will do it for him. When this his tenure expires, a riverine Governor will take over from him and he will not build 10 flyovers in Ikwerre land. He will do the Trans Kalabari Road and move others forward too before handing over to an Ogoni Governor. Power must rotate. And so too must development. I am glad he knows it.”

Speaking on the desirability of genuine reconciliation in the Rivers state chapter of the APC, Princewill argued that all aggrieved chieftains must be willing to bury their differences and stop pointing accusing fingers at one another.

”On the recent statement by my friend and brother Hon Igo Aguma, regarding the state of the APC in Rivers State, I want to say first and foremost that I feel his pain. While the first temptation is to rise to the Minister’s defence, I will resist it.

“Granted not all of what he said will go down well with many of us, but he spoke some hard truths and the minds of many silent others. As leaders, we must learn to listen. Roy T Bennet once said that just as you should not let compliments get to your head, don’t let criticism get to your heart.

”Thankfully we have more time on our side to begin to address issues raised and issues yet to be raised. I don’t want another disagreement to lead into a crisis and so on my part, I will work for unity and a new style of conflict resolution.

“We are where we are today, as a party and as a state because of the choices that we made yesterday. We can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. If anybody is to be called to order, it is ourselves.”