Immediate past Rivers State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Felix Obuah, has thrown his weight behind Governor Nyesom Wike’s seeming merciless verbal missiles attack on Nigeria at 61.
Speaking at an Interdenominational Church Service on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the state capital to commemorate Nigeria’s 61st independence anniversaryat St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Governor Wike took on the three arms of government, and left them with severe bruises.
According to the outspoken PDP governor, it is regrettable that 61 years after independence, Nigeria is still grappling with leadership challenge, pointing out that because of such leadership failure, the country is currently at a point in its history needing God more than ever.
Hitting hard on the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, he said there is hardly anything for Nigerians to celebrate as the country under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch marks 61st independence anniversary because its leadership continues to entrench hatred, mediocrity, promote ethnicity and religion.
“This is the time that Nigeria needs God more. The country is gone. Insecurity everywhere. Everyone needs to say God, we need you because man’s leadership has failed this country’’, he said, noting that the only thing Nigerians can perhaps, boast of celebrating is the existence of the name, Nigeria.
“At 61 years, Nigeria is full of enmity, full of divisions, hatred, ethnicity. A country that cannot put themselves together. Everybody has responsibility, so ask yourself questions, have I done my own part? Nigeria is far removed from being a country that can compete favourably with prosperous countries of the world, given its abundant resources.’’
On the Legislative arm of the central government, Wike said the Legislature has continued to approve anything for the Presidency not minding the consequences.
While also decrying how the Judiciary has succumbed to intimidation because judges have abandoned their responsibilities out of fear, he wondered what fate Nigerians will have under such seeming tyrannical atmosphere.
According to him, “we cannot do the right things. Other countries are talking about how their elections will be transparent, we are talking about how we will rig the election in 2023. Simple thing, transmit election results electronically to show transparency, that really that the person you’re declaring won the election but we are afraid.
“Where is the legislature. A legislature that cannot think, a legislature, anything they bring is right, a legislature that can not say that Nigeria has nothing to regret from conducting free and fair election.
“A Legislature that you’ll close your eyes, anything they bring, about borrowing, you say borrow. A legislature that cannot say that this money we are borrowing where is it, where are you applying it? You have no confidence to ask questions.
“The courts have been intimidated. The judges have abandoned their responsibilities out of fear. You’re seeing something that is wrong, but because you will be summoned in the night, you abandoned your responsibility.”
He is equally blaming the woes the country has suffered on all the citizenry who have refused to do the right things, but rather allowed the wrong things to be perpetrated in all facets of the society, noting how ascendancy to leadership is no longer by merit but by ethnic affinity and religious consideration, even when such person does not have the capacity required to function in such office.
The Rivers governor further berated the church leadership over the inordinate dressing of a young man that he saw in the church. The governor Wike attribute such sight to a lack of discipline enforced in the church.
According to him, it is baffling that despite having leadership over the country, there is unabated spree of killings, a seemingly thriving kidnapping business with some officers of the nation’s military killed without drastic measures taken to return Nigeria to the path of sanity.
While charging the church to rise to speak courageously against the wickedness in the land, Ihunwo declared the judgement of God upon the sponsors of such killings and kidnapping that have put Nigeria in a pitiable state that its people cannot celebrate the independence of the country at 61 years.
Special prayers were said at the service for God’s favour and grace upon Nigeria and its leaders, Rivers State Executive Council, Judiciary and the Legislature, for Governor Wike and his family, as well as the Church and its leaders.
For the PDP chieftain, it’s interesting and gladdening to note that all the efforts and the exemplary leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike are being appreciated even by the religious and so many other social institutions outside the partisan political terrain.
Obuah who is the Sole Administrator of the state Waste Management Agency says of greater interest and satisfaction is the Award of Excellence and Courageous Leadership to the Nation conferred on Wike by Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
Describing the award as most deserving, he congratulated the governor for the honour and praised him for his focus and incontrovertible openness in leadership, and observed that the avalanche of awards to Gov Wike is a proof of the popular belief that when the righteous is on the throne the people rejoice.
He said while the recognitions and acknowledgement of all the deeds and quality leadership of Wike are good and gratifying, the most desirable is for other political office holders and those in positions of authority to emulate him and replicate same in their respective offices, communities, local government councils, other states and in the country generally for a better citizenry, and for the collective good of the people.
Obuah said imbibing and sustaining this legacy as epitomized by His Excellency especially by our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow will be the best reward to the governor for his efforts.
“As long as his ideals live and are sustained, so will he remain alive in our minds, state and the nation. I joyfully join other friends and admirers within and outside our state to congratulate and rejoice with His Excellency and pray the good Lord to continue to strengthen him to do more for our state and humanity”, Obuah prays.
