Former President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that the Rivers State
Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is working hard to transform the state.
Speaking during the Rivers Golden Jubilee Anniversary Lecture in Port
Harcourt on Wednesday, Former President Goodluck Jonathan said that
Governor Wike is leading Rivers State to greater heights.
He said: “Having had the opportunity to serve at the state level for
eight years and at the centre for eight years, I can attest to the
fact that Wike is working.
“Everyday I watch television, I see programmes going on. Commissioning
of projects are taking place. It takes somebody with commitment,
somebody with foresight and somebody with a strong team to achieve
all these”.
The Former President stated that he is not surprised that Governor
Wike is living up to the expectations of the people, because as a
minister, Governor Wike excelled.
“Let me specifically thank the Governor of Rivers State, somebody who
worked with me, somebody I believe in. That is why I conferred on him
the prestigious title of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). “
Speaking further, the Former President argued that reforms should
ensure that more resources get to the state, rather than the
interventionist agencies already affected by politics.
He said that the states in the Niger Delta have achieved more in
terms of development since they started accessing 13 percent
derivation than interventionist agencies have achieved.
Jonathan said because of political influence on the interventionist
agencies, the entire Niger Delta is replete with abandoned projects.
The Former President also called for the implementation of the
National Conference Report, which he said will help the nation address
the numerous development challenges facing the nation.
Also speaking, National Caretaker Committee Chairman of PDP, Senator
Ahmed Makarfi said only PDP has the capacity to embark on the
restructuring of the country.
He said: “In PDP, we believe that our Federation needs to be fixed .
We will ensure reforms in a manner that every federating unit will
know that they will not be abandoned. “
In his lecture titled “democracy and development in Nigeria: The Case
of Rivers State “, Prof Godini Darah advocated resource ownership for
the Niger Delta.