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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged the Ogoni people of Rivers State to repay President Bola Tinubu with their votes in the 2027 general elections for approving the Federal University of Environment and Technology and appointing their sons and daughters to key federal positions.
Wike said the establishment of the university represented a major opportunity for the Ogoni people, urging them to reciprocate the Federal Government’s interventions by supporting Tinubu at the polls.
The minister spoke on Wednesday at a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting with residents of Tai Local Government Area, held at Gbenegininwa Hall, Saakpenwa, where he highlighted the institution’s potential to drive employment, economic growth and development across Ogoni land.
He said the university would become a catalyst for development as it expanded its academic programmes and operations, creating jobs for qualified indigenes and stimulating commercial activities in the host communities.
Wike credited the late Senator Barry Mpigi with playing a significant role in securing federal approval for the institution before his death in March 2026.
He said establishing a federal university required extensive legislative and executive processes, urging residents not to underestimate the significance of the achievement.
“If you don’t know what it is, even me as a minister, it would be difficult to go through the National Assembly. The National Assembly will pass it, it will now go to the President. Sometimes, the bill will stay there for years,” he said.
The minister said the benefits of the institution would become more evident in the next four to five years as its activities expanded.
“You don’t know what you have because the university just started. By the time this university stays four years, five years, then you will know the development,” he said.
According to Wike, the university would provide employment opportunities for qualified indigenes while generating economic activities through demand for accommodation, transportation, trade and other services.
He urged the people to consider the long-term benefits of the institution and the appointment of Ogoni indigenes to federal positions when deciding which political leaders to support in 2027.
Wike also challenged political stakeholders in Tai to deliver 70 per cent of votes cast for Tinubu and other candidates backed by the Rainbow Coalition in the forthcoming elections.
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He clarified that the target referred to votes actually cast for the candidates, rather than 70 per cent of registered voters.
Recalling Tai’s record of being among the first local governments to deliver election results in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, the minister urged political leaders to sustain the tradition, adding that the area could receive additional support if it met the target.
He said the proposed incentive was intended to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and the coalition’s electoral organisation.
The minister also used the meeting to welcome political associates who had returned to the Rainbow Coalition following disagreements, insisting that the group had not split into different political parties.
“Let me first of all welcome my brothers. They didn’t go anywhere. There was no fight, they didn’t go to any other party, the same party, but there was a small fight and so we’ve all come back together to work as a team,” he said.
He urged the coalition’s leadership to ensure that returning members were treated fairly and fully reintegrated, stressing that past disagreements should not undermine unity.
Wike further challenged political leaders seeking the people’s support to present their records in public office, urging residents to assess their contributions to the development of Tai, Ogoni and Rivers State rather than rely solely on campaign promises.
Earlier, the Tai Local Government chairman and Rainbow Coalition coordinator in the area, Mbakpone Okpe, disclosed plans to partner with Wike on an estate project to provide accommodation for students, parents and visitors to the university.
Okpe said the necessary processes had been concluded and developers were expected to sign an agreement ahead of the project’s commencement.
He also said the council had constructed the university’s entrance gate and an approximately one-kilometre dual carriageway within the premises to complement the Federal Government’s investment.
The chairman disclosed that Tai recorded 4,568 collected Permanent Voter Cards during the first-quarter distribution exercise, adding that the coalition was working to integrate former members and mobilise supporters across the local government’s 10 wards.
He said the council had also set aside N100 million in an account in preparation for the proposed incentive scheme.
Okpe further disclosed that the council spent about N120 million monthly on an empowerment programme benefiting at least 3,400 people, assuring that his administration would continue to pursue infrastructure and development projects across Tai.
