Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has called on his predecessor, who is also the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to join him in developing the state.
Speaking in a broadcast to mark the Supreme Court judgment striking out the appeals by the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, Wike said the it’s much better for the state if all leaders were united.
He said, “Although the present politics of acrimony and bitterness may have made us strayed from the noble path of the past, I still believe that we shall be better of standing and working together for our state and our people.
“I therefore appeal to the APC and the Minister of Transportation to join hands with us to move our dear state forward. We cannot as leaders continue to remain divided and expect government to deliver on its responsibilities to our people.
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“Let us henceforth seek a common ground instead of allowing our differences to be exploited to retard our march to progress. I appeal to our people to eschew all acts of acrimony, criminality, unrest, and violence throughout the state.
“I wish to recommit myself to continue to do all that is humanly possible to ensure the unity and peaceful co-existence of all our people irrespective of political affiliation.”
Wike also directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to review all pending criminal cases linked to politics before the 2019 elections and make necessary recommendations to promote reconciliation.
Wike said, “I hereby direct the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to review all pending criminal proceedings filed against any person by the state and directly related to political activities prior to the 2019 general elections and make appropriate recommendations to me for necessary action to promote reconciliation among us.”
Continuing, the governor said, “today, I recommit myself to be the governor for all the people of Rivers State for the next four years. Accordingly, we shall form an all-inclusive government to advance the collective interest of all our people, irrespective of party, ethnic or religious affiliations.
“We have come a long way in the last four years and accomplished a lot to be proud of. But there’s still a lot more to do to advance and realise the ultimate vision of our founding fathers for a truly united, secure, and prosperous state and we need the support of all our people to realise this bold vision.
“We salute the opposition for their courage to fight within the confines of the law to the end. Now that the legal battle is over, the task of building the state must take precedence over all other considerations.”