The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Friday mocked President Muhammadu Buhari over his planned visit to Rivers State on Thursday, wondering about the true intention of the visit.
The Presidency scheduled the visit to Rivers State as a part of the tour of states of the federation where lives and property were lost following clashes involving herdsmen and farmers.
But in his reaction according to his media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, the governor who said he had not been informed about the president’s planned visit and the reason for it wondered why he was coming.
According to him, there had not been any clash involving herdsmen and farmers in his state to warrant the visit.
“We have never had herdsmen killings or crisis in the state, except when some criminals tried to disrupt the peace and they were checked. We resolved that challenge,” he said.
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Wike said he suspected that rather than the declared intention of the president over his planned visit, he might just want to visit his state to resurrect the All Progressives Congress, APC, in his state which he declared as dead.
“I have not been told the president is coming and why he is coming. He has the right to come to any state…
“Maybe the president is coming to make sure that he will improve the fortunes of the APC that is dead in Rivers state.
“Apart from Jesus Christ, we don’t know of anyone who has risen a dead thing. APC is a dead party in Rivers State. No matter how you fast and pray, it will never wake up.”
Wike said the president’s visit might just be an opportunity for the federal government to focus attention on the state which he said had been abandoned since the beginning of the current administration.
Said he: “Since the administration has abandoned Rivers State for three years, this visit may be a blessing in disguise. The president may use the visit to complete the Port Harcourt International Airport, the neglected East-West road, the neglected seaports and the rejected Port Harcourt-Aba road.”
