From Vincent Egunyanga
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has described the recent utterances by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike against the revered Ijaw monarch and Amayanabo of kalabari, King Theophilus Princewill and the Ijaw people in Rivers State as childish, unguarded and unbecoming of leader.
Dickson during a media chat at the government house in Yenagoa on Sunday, accused Wike of disrespect to Ijaw people in his domain and attempt to create concussion in Bayelsa State.
He said that the Rivers State governor played a pivotal role in the PDP lost in Bayelsa State during the November 16, 2019 governorship election, warning Wike to leave the state alone because Bayelsa is not an annexed part of Rivers State.
Governor Wike of Rivers State had threatened to dethrone the Amayanabo of Kalabari kingdom in Rivers State, an Ijaw speaking tribe in the state for hosting Governor Dickson of Bayelsa State, who was in the state to show solidarity with Ijaw people.
Dickson said: “You will recalled that the governor of our neighbouring state, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, is used to making careless and very childish remarks from time to time, recently, he went on his usual habit, this is the first time i formally react to Wike childishness, I have ignored him with pains and redress, all his previous attempt to belittle Bayelsa State, and to intimidate our state and its leadership.
“His unfriendliness towards Bayelsa State is glaring, it’s not just me, it’s about our state and our people, he has done that a couple of time, but I decided to stomach it for several reasons, number one; I’m older than him even as governor, two; you all know the historical tie between Rivers and Bayelsa States, all of us here, people of my generation, most of our certificates, schools we attended, everything bears Rivers State, until 1996, we were part of Rivers State, proud Rivers State, until today, some of us school there, live there, and with my involvement in the course of Niger Delta and Ijaw nation, I always shy away from open confrontation with a brother governor, particularly of the state that is so closely tie with our state.
“As we speak now, the level of social interaction, inter-marriage, most of our leaders even live in Port Harcourt even now, so I’ve been very reluctant to respond to him since he started his governorship and unreasonable hostility towards our state, this is because of the respect for our historical ties and respect for the good people of Rivers State.
“Yes, Wike can attack Bayelsa State because he doesn’t have indigenous Ikwerre people in Bayelsa State, but the governor of Bayelsa has indigenous Ijaw people in Rivers State, who are major stakeholders in Rivers State, so, as a result of this, in the past four or five years, since he started his childish and unguarded drunken behaviors, I’ve be very careful in responding, but I have to formally do so now, and Governor Wike knows I’m not shying away, but I have to hold myself, because the governor of Bayelsa represents much more than governorship of a state.
“Out of respect for our people in Rivers State, I always shy away from Wike’s unguarded utterances, but this time around, no, so I want to use this opportunity to condemn the way and manner he threatened and showing disrespect to Ijaw leaders in Rivers State, and I want to particularly respond to what he said about my visit to our revert leader and father, the Amayanabo of Kalabari, that is a 90 years old man, and you all know that during the national assembly election and his own election, a lot of Ijaw sons and daughters were killed in Kalabari, Rivers State, so that was why I showed sympathy and solidarity to our Ijaw people in Rivers State.
“I tried to reach him as the Governor of Rivers State, but he has cut all the channels of communication from Bayelsa State, though the governor of Bayelsa State don’t need Wike’s permission to visit Ijaw people in Rivers State, Bayelsa is not an annexed part of Rivers State, so this nonsense of Wike must stop, Wike should stop treating and seeing Bayelsa as annexed part of Rivers State, Wike should stop interfering in the politics of Bayelsa State, you all know what he did during the PDP primaries in our state, and the role he played in supporting the APC to win Bayelsa State.
“And I want to caution leaders of Bayelsa State, they should be carefull with the way they sell out this state to characters like Wike, we don’t have enough money as Wike and Rivers State have, he should leave Bayelsa alone, this is a state created out of the most under-developed part of Rivers State, every road here, we build it ourselves, we didn’t inherit a government that has an airport or seaport from the centre, we did it on our own, Wike should leave Bayelsa State alone.
“Wike is fighting with almost every state around him, he is fighting with Imo state, Akwa Ibom State and Bayelsa State, what a hell is wrong with him, if anything is wrong with the governor of Rivers State, the people of Rivers State should examine him and know what is wrong with him, let me assure the people of Kalabari in Rivers State that Bayelsa has no hidden agenda to annex any part of their land.” Dickson said.