Come to my rescue! Governor Wike begs for these reasons

– Rivers state has been under intense security challenges and these include kidnapping, militancy and clashes between rival cult groups

– The state had also remained politically tensed since the courts sacked some of its representatives at the National Assembly

– Wike revealed he is not happy with media practitioners in the country because they have remained silent while his state is being short-changed

Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers state, on Thursday, August 4, 2016, appealed to editors and media houses in the country not to remain silent over the problems facing his state.

Wike, according to Scan News, accused the media of  a conspiracy of silence while the people of the state are denied legitimate  representation at the National Assembly because of the quest to save the dwindling political relevance of one person.

Speaking at the 12th All Nigeria Editors Conference organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, the governor said: “The eighth National Assembly is well into the second year of its fourth-year tenure without any Rivers state representative in the Senate, and only a fraction in the House of Representatives.

“Yet, the press is maintaining conspiratorial silence over the continuing repression and deliberate denial of the state’s constitutional right to full and effective representation at the National Assembly.

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“The question is: can Rivers state legitimately be bound by legislation or resolutions from the eighth National Assembly passed without our representation and input?

“I would like to leave you with some thoughts about the values we share – thoughts about our democracy, good governance and public accountability.

“As the watchdog and guardians of the public interest, no other profession can give us the opportunity to know the truth about our country, about our leaders, about the state of our democracy, about ourselves, and about governments than journalists.

“Your profession enables and empowers you to prod and probe; to speak truth to power, to expose injustice, to speak on behalf of the voiceless and to hold leaders accountable.

“Thus, the statement is true that if you all commit yourselves to the highest standards of your profession, you can be the most powerful force for deepening Nigeria’s democracy, for human rights, for justice, for shaping public policy, for fighting corruption, for free, fair and credible elections, and for efficient service delivery.

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“In these politically terrifying times, we urge everyone of you to be objective in your coverage and reportage of events and stand with the people of Rivers state in our quest for free and fair re-run elections, instead of serving as proxies for those elements and tendencies that are bent on holding us captives and depriving us of our freedoms and liberties.”

While maintaining that there was no reason to perpetually postpone elections  in the state, he added: “They say there are security challenges in the state but even in the height of the vicious violence by the Boko Haram insurgency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) supposedly conducted elections in Borno and other infested states.

“The excuse of insecurity is therefore a farcical political contraption. Again, if we may ask INEC and its collaborators: who is fooling who?”

Wike, who reeled out his achievements so far, added: “Before we came in, roads in the state were in their worst states of disrepair.

“Today, we have restored most of the streets in the state capital and Obio/Akpor local government areas. In addition, we started 27 new roads and completed 15 strategic roads and bridges abandoned by the previous administration.

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“As I speak work is ongoing on several strategic projects, including the dualization of the 16km Sakpenwa-Bori-Kono road, which straddles three local governme0nt areas; the East/West – Airport (Prof. Tam David West) Boulevard; the Igwuruta-Etche road; the Rivers state Ecumenical Centre, and the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park,” he said.

At the conference, NAIJ.com reports that Lai Mohammed, the information minister, revealed that Nigeria was deeply troubled because previous governments failed to save for the rainy day.

He also commended the editors and media in the country but tasked them to infuse themselves into the change agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

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