Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has reconciled major actors in the July 9, 2013, Rivers State House of Assembly crisis.
This comes as the then Leader of the House, Chidi Lloyd, apologised to the people of Rivers for the role he played in the crisis.
The actors in the crisis have all agreed to work together as members of one big family under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The major actors included Lloyd, Michael Chindah, Evans Bipi and Kelechi Nworgu.
Governor Wike brokered the reconciliation at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Wike said the event was a confirmation that the key actors in the crisis have formally reconciled.
‘They are the people directly involved in the State House of Assembly crisis and this ceremony is to tell the world that they have reconciled,’ the Governor said.
‘They are still members of the same family and they are happy with the reconciliation.’
In his speech, Lloyd said the reconciliation was ordained by God and restated his earlier apology to Chindah and his other colleagues over his role in the crisis at the State House of Assembly.
Lloyd described his action in 2013 as a mistake of the head and not of the heart and thanked Governor Wike for his benevolence which led to total reconciliation.
Responding, Chindah thanked God for keeping them alive to witness the reconciliation.
He also lauded Governor Wike for his role in ensuring that he remained alive after the incident.
Chindah, who observed that Lloyd misunderstood him on the day of the crisis, said he had already forgiven him since December 2013.
He urged parliamentary leaders not to promote issues that would lead to a crisis in their service to humanity.
Also speaking, Evans Bipi described Lloyd as a man with a large heart and thanked him for coming back to his roots.
On his part, Kelechi Nworgu said the reconciliation was his greatest achievement in the present administration.
He stated that he never regretted his action on the day of the incident as he stood for the freedom of the State.
Nworgu lauded Governor Wike for championing the reconciliation which he noted was for the good of the State.
In his remarks, the State Chairman of PDP, Desmond Akawor, described the reconciliation as a practical manifestation of forgiveness.
He lauded Governor Wike for always treading the path of a righteous ruler and thanked the various parties to the reconciliation for taking the bold step to forgive one another.
Also speaking, Sergent Awuse commended Governor Wike for creating the enabling environment to end the crisis which would have consumed the entire State.