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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, in a message to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, said that political parties should emulate the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in fulfilling campaign promises with regard to infrastructure projects.
Governor Wike said the PDP has done well in the state by fulfilling promises made to people of the state, and that other parties have seen the difference.
The governor stated this at the inauguration of the Okoro-Nu-Odo flyover, which was performed by the former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke.
The Rivers governor challenged the APC to come out bold to tell Rivers people what they would do differently or had done in office.
Governor Wike pointed out that like every other project, the Okoro-Nu-Odo flyover was among the best projects his administration has delivered for the people of Rivers.
‘I want to thank everybody for your support. Our party is not a party of excuses. When we say something, we do it. Let other parties emulate us. They should not be promising Nigerians and be giving excuses,’ the governor said at the event.
‘We have promised and we have fulfilled. When they (APC) make promise they should fulfil. PDP has done all its campaigns in this state. Let the other parties come to tell us what they will do differently or had done while in office. Time is already gone for them.’
Governor Wike said critics thought the three flyover projects he started in 2019 would not be completed within 16 months. But with Rebisi and Okoro-Nu-Odo flyovers completed and commissioned, he said his administration had further demonstrated its commitment to enhance infrastructure in the state.
The governor warned community leaders who encourage street traders around the area to desist from the act because trading will not be tolerated around the Okoro-Nu-Odo flyover.
‘To the paramount rulers of Rumuokoro community and Rumuodumaya community, tell your youths and CDCs, who are always collecting money here, I will not tolerate anybody who will covert this flyover as trading place,’ Wike warned.
‘We cannot spend this money here and you turn this place into a market. I will not accept that. We have built market and motor park for you. Go and use them for your business activities.
‘I have told the GOC of the 6 Division and the Garrison commander to tell all their men to stop what they’re doing on this road. They collect money and allow people to sell on the road. We won’t tolerate it again.
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‘Leave our road; this is not market, nobody should trade here. Allow the people to enjoy the road.’
Governor Wike described former Governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, as role model who inspired him to perform in office.
‘I invited you because I know when you were governor you performed very well. I will not bring anybody who did not perform in office to come and commission my projects.
‘You’re our role model. We monitored you while you were in office and to see how you took Cross River from nothing to somewhere.
‘Today, people talk of Cross River and carnival, who’s the originator? You’re the one who did everything to put Cross River on the world map. People should not forget history. Today, you are here to see the little thing we are doing, having emulated what you did.’
Inaugurating the Okoro-Nu-Odo Flyover Bridge, former Governor Duke described Governor Wike as a trailblazer who has demonstrated leadership and spent state resources prudently for the good of Rivers people.
Duke urged the benefiting communities of the project to cherish and protect the project as their own contribution to ensuring that the resource used to build the bridge does not amount to waste.
‘I want to congratulate you the people for being steadfast with your son. You gave him support and he has delivered. Leadership is not about winning election. Leadership is about taking people to a destination,’ Dule said.
‘You may not always agree with Governor Wike at the onset. Later on you’ll understand the wisdom of his stance. But you are never in doubt where he stands on any issues and that’s leadership.
‘Today, we are celebrating many things he has done; the development of a community, the prosperity that will be brought into the community, leaving the community better than he met it and of course, we are saying thank you that we have a leader which is very rare to find in our country, that is people who say what they mean and mean what they say.’
The state Commissioner of Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, said the Okoro-Nu-Odo flyover was one of three flyover projects sited strategically to ease travel time for commuters in the state.
Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Onueze Okocha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), lauded Governor Wike for his developmental stride and warned the people of the area against converting the flyover to a trading post..
