Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has taken a critical look at the ongoing cleanup of Ogoniland and declared that the Federal Government has not been sincere in the exercise.
The governor said that the government at the centre was being deceptive and playing politics with the Ogoni milieu remediation programme recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Wike spoke during the commissioning of the 16.06 kilometers dual carriage Sakpenwa-Bori Highway by the Governor of Enugu State Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Lawrence Ugwuanyi in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
He noted that Ogoni, having played a pivotal role in the economic development of Rivers State and the country, deserved more than what was being offered to the area by the federal government.
The governor urged Ogoni people to stop believing those who used the Ogoni clean up exercise at the turn of election year to deceive them and wondered why cleanup never happened when elections were over. He said: “I am not like Federal Government.
They promised you they will do Ogoni clean up. Has it been cleaned? I promised you road, have I done it? So you can see the difference between our party and their own party. The difference is clear.
“When election comes in 2023, they will start another clean up. You people don’t even ask questions. Why is it a year to election that Ogoni clean up will always commence? Now that there is no election are they doing clean up? Watch from next year they will start clean up,” he stated.
Governor Wike said it had remained undisputed that only the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were delivering development projects to their people.
The governor challenged those who felt uncomfortable with his public declarations to also showcase their projects and invite persons of repute to commission them as he had done since December.
He stated that because of the existing mutual trust between his leadership team and the people, sufficient progress had been achieved in Ogoni land and in the entire state in terms of project delivery.
Governor Wike announced the commencement of the phase two of the newly commissioned road, which would stretch from Bori to Kono and would be awarded to the same construction firm, CCECC.
“Let me tell you, I will dualise from here, Bori to Kono. It will be handled by the same contractor to maintain the same standard.
“So, when I finish and go, I will tell Ogoni people that it was in my tenure that you got road: dualised road, from Saakpenwa to Kono with street lights.
“This is what we call development. You can leave Port Harcourt and come back home any day, any time. This is what makes a city.
“When I say Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors are doing well, people are angry. If they are doing well, let them call us. Is it hidden?
“PDP Governors, we are challenging others, tell us what you’re doing. It is not to take money to go and buy one governor. That’s not it. We are talking about governors that are interested in the development of their people. We are commissioning projects,” he continued.