From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has urged Nigerians to give Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the opportunity to serve them at the national level.
He said if Rivers State is lucky to have Wike as its leader, Nigerians would be luckier to have a man with the knowledge and vision of harnessing resources in improving the quality of life of citizenry at the national level.
Mohammed stated this during the flag-off of construction work at Rumukwurushi-Elimgbu flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, yesterday.
The Bauchi State Governor said he felt humbled and honoured to flag-off the flyover project, which is the 10th of such project that Governor Wike has provided for his people within his second tenure.
“Again, you can see the fidelity, the sincerity of purpose. I am not in my second term; but, I cannot remember any second term governor doing this kind of infrastructure, delivering to his people.
“He is not here for himself. I am not praising him. There is nothing that he will give me that I don’t have. But, I really envy him for what he is. He is for his people. When some second term governors are busy preparing to go home, this man is even breaking new frontiers, doing new projects, and giving timelines and finances that will be able to be delivered during his tenure.”
Mohammed said Governor Wike had distinguished himself as the new face of leadership in Nigeria.
He said such leadership style had raised the bar of subnational leadership in the country, making it more attractive and a thing of pride to be associated with the Rivers State governor.
“Some of his templates have really been implemented; some of them, you can touch them in terms of improving the quality of life of our people. We are copying from him because we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. He has done so much, he says the truth and does the right thing. You can see the conceptualisation. The way and manner the projects were conceptualised and financed.”
Governor Wike said his administration owes it as a duty to Rivers people to deliver social services and quality projects that would improve their living conditions.
He said the Rumukwurushi-Elimgbu flyover would be delivered in the next 10 months as 80 per cent of the contract sum had already been paid to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
“What is important in governance is when public officers or elected public officers make promises to their people, to the electorate, there must not be any excuse not to fulfil such promises.