• As non-indigenes laud gov’s pro-people programmes

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has alleged that the Federal Government is working relentlessly to kill the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said deliberate efforts by agents of the federal government to stagnate development in Rivers State  will not succeed and noted that  in the long run, it is the party that controls the Federal Government that will die politically.
The governor spoke, yesterday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt when the leadership of Non-Indigenes Without Borders, chaired by Emeka Onowu visited him.
“We have a sad situation where everything is being done at the federal level to kill the PDP.  However, in the end, it is their own political party that will die,” he said.
The governor expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated plots to rig the forthcoming rerun elections in the state and noted that nobody would be allowed to steal the mandate of Rivers people, “no matter the deployment of pliant security agencies.
“They are repeatedly shifting the date of the rerun elections, so that they can have a convenient time to rig. Nobody should be scared of their plan to use Department of Sate Services (DSS)  and police to rig the rerun elections .
“How many people can a policeman that is carrying gun kill? In Turkey, where they resisted the army, were they not human beings? Nobody will circumvent the mandate of the Rivers people,” Wike said .
He said as an opposition state, the people of Rivers State are aware that they will have battles for survival from those who control the federal level.
The governor explained that his action of October 8 was not geared towards stopping the DSS from arresting  a judge, but an action aimed at ensuring that the right process was followed.
Wike said anyone who casts his/hervote or does business in Rivers State is entitled to the proceeds of good governance from his administration.  He said he took a deliberate decision to always accommodate non-indigenes in the local government caretaker committees for councils with considerable presence of non-indigenes.The governor noted that non-indigenes play a critical role in the politics of the state because of their population .
National Leader of the Non-Indigenes Without Borders, Emeka Onowu, lauded Governor Wike for providing leadership that has helped to shape democracy in the country.
He commended the governor for being a detribalised governor who caters for all interests and ethnic groups.
Emeka Onowu said contrary to rumours by the opposition in the  state that the governor will drive away the non-indigenes after winning the  2015 governorship election, Wike has offered them critical appointments and integrated them in key empowerment  programmes.
“They claimed during the campaign that Governor Wike would chase away non-indigenes from the state. Today, the truth is out and their false propaganda has been exposed.
“Non-indigenes have never had it so good in Rivers State. We have a chief judge, a commissioner, caretaker committee members, senior aides to the governor and our members have benefitted from the empowerment programme to traders and artisans.”
As a mark of their appreciation, the Non-Indigenes Without Borders presented an award of excellence to Governor Wike for his superlative performance.