Leaders of the Niger Delta have again warned Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi to desist from attacking the Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, saying the minister has their confidence and is not a political orphan.
The leaders stated this during a solidarity visit to the Minister in Abuja.
The Niger Delta delegation, led by Prof. AW Obianime expressed confidence in the minister, saying that he is not a political orphan.
Other members of the delegation included the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Sam Ogbuku; former Presidential Adviser on Amnesty, Dr Kingsley Kuku; Chief Ayiri Emami; Chief Tony Okocha; Elder TK Ogoriba, among others.
Addressing newsmen on behalf of the delegation, Kuku said Gumi’s arrogation of exclusive ownership and monopoly of administration of Abuja by a given ethno-religious region in Nigeria is divisive.
“It clearly goes against the grain of Abuja as the melting pot of Nigeria and therefore highly condemnable. We are glad for the avalanche of criticisms against his unguarded statements from every nook and cranny and the denial of his position even by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
“Going further, Gumi should know that Wike is not a political orphan from the Niger Delta; he has a very strong socio-political base. So, we take very serious exceptions to the call for the minister’s sack.
“The Honourable Minister is assured of our total support as long as you are on the right track in the performance of your official duties. We would, however, urge you to be very circumspect in your official engagements. Continue to be focused, ignore distractions and make Nigeria proud.”
Earlier, Obianime said all those attacking Wike must understand that he has his backers.
“We agreed to come and show solidarity with you. These are the people whose voices we do not hear every day but once they appear and speak, they hold water.
“Worried about the situation in the polity and innuendoes and statements being attributed to certain people, we just want to come and say to the world that this masquerade has drummers, that this masquerade trying to reshape Abuja has the backing of his people.
“We are here to make sure what the minister himself sleeps well, knowing that his people are with him. When they call you Mr Project, that name was not given just like that but based on what you have done.”
On his part, the minister warned the Niger Delta people to desist from ethnicizing issues especially if such issues do not favour them.
He said that he was unmoved by the criticism directed at him by the cleric as he was focused on helping President Bola Tinubu to deliver on his mandate.
Wike stated: “I have not lost focus, and I will not lose focus, as I want to remain focused to do my work. What is important today is to support Mr President to achieve his eight-point agenda of renewed hope.
“So in the course of this work, some people may not be happy and some people will be happy. So you don’t expect that everybody will be happy. So when the historic appointment was made, you don’t expect people not to talk. You should not be bothered that people will react.
“I can assure you that I don’t think or bother to know who even made the statement. So don’t be worried about that. And I want to urge you to continue to support Mr. President so that at the end of the day all of us will be happy.
“At the point where we are, Mr. President will take very hard decisions, which we may not like, but at the end of the day, it will bring us out of this logjam. It is not going to be a miracle or magic, as when things are bad it is going to take difficult steps to see that the President puts things right.
“In Niger Delta, we should stop ethnicising any event that happens. And that is why we are not always getting things right. It is not only when something favours us, then we are right, and when it doesn’t favour us, then we are wrong.
“In politics, there are a lot of internal wrangling, but it doesn’t mean that those involved will not settle in their family. So, when things are wrong, you ask questions. That is what leadership is all about. When you hear something, ask questions to know what is going on or what happened, so you can also appraise the situation.”
The former Rivers governor called for unity among the various ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta, saying nothing tangible could be achieved in an atmosphere of disunity.
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