From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to not to spare suspected cultists unleashing mayhem on communities in the state.
This was even as cultists have sacked Omudioga community in Emohua Local Government Area of the State, following renewed cult activities.
Governor Wike, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Conflict Resolution, Chief Okori Abelekum, said cultists terrorising Omudioga community would be be brought to book, unless they sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign.
He said this, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, at a two-day Mediation and Community Reconciliation Workshop for community leaders in conflict affected communities, in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.
Wike’s aide said the interest of the government is for peace to reign, and stressed that peace and security are reasons the governor instituted the State Amnesty Programme.
He regretted that some hoodlums still cause unrest in the state, and noted that after the efforts and investment of government in peace and security, any group of persons who cause insecurity would be dealt with accordingly.
“It was from security report I heard it. That community is in Emohua Local Government Area, I will meet with the Caretaker Committee Chairman of that LGA soon.
“Emohua is in our catchment area for peace and conflict resolution and we will meet with all the leaders of the area. If all these things are happening in that community, we will not tolerate it.”
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ikuinyi Owaji-Ibani, has said lawmakers are working in partnership with Governor Nyesom Wike to ensure the 23 local government areas in the state feel the impact of good governance.
He declared the Assembly would not be distracted by the opposition.
Owaji-Ibani stated this yesterday, in his remarks during plenary, against the backdrop of the opposition, which recently criticised the House and the executive.
Owaji-Ibani said: “It is only in Nigeria that you can find a patent medicine dealer instructing a structural engineer as to how structural or civil engineering work should be carried out. That’s what we find in transitional politics like ours, especially where the idea of opposition is still novel.
“Some of us are aware of the rantings of people, whose qualities are unknown, as if they can direct the House as to what the Eighth Assembly should do. The constitution of the Rivers state Eighth Assembly is such that we have capacity to do what is right. Therefore, no form of distraction can take us away from that path.”
He commended the majority leader of the House for his prompt response to counter what he described as ‘the ratings of such persons’, against the lawmakers and the governor Wike-led administration.
“You would have also heard clearly that the majority leader, in a well-tailored response, reacted to the rantings of such persons. But, let me reiterate that the Eighth Assembly will continue to do that which is right. And, as members of the Rivers state House of Assembly, we are not entitled to execute any project. It is not known in any extant rule and regulation in Nigeria.
“Constituency projects are projects that members, who represent various constituencies, can nominate, but the executive arm will execute in that regard. That, for anybody to sit in his closet and think that we cannot carry out selfless service in defence of our motherland, is wrong.
“We shall not be deterred, we shall not be drawn into unnecessary distraction. We started well and we are going to end well,” Owaji-Ibani said.
He pointed out that, no constituency could deny the existence of any project coming from the current state government in partnership with the House of Assembly.
“Governor Wike is doing well in terms of providing dividends of democracy. As partners in that programme, we have been meeting the governor to also give him our input as to projects that can be cited in our various local government areas.
“And, it is testimonial enough that today, in the third session of the Rivers state House of Assembly, the state is enjoying dividends of democracy. No council can lay claim that there is no one project that is either completed or ongoing,” the speaker noted.