Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, called for truce between the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, over the political feud threatening the peace in the state.
Jonathan made the call while flagging off the construction of the Trans-Kalabari Road project, at Nkpor-Aker Road Roundabout, Rumuolumeni community in Obio/Akpor Local Government.
He warned that the continuation of the fight could snowball into a bigger regional and national challenge with greater consequences.
He, therefore, urged a cessation of hostilities for the growth and development of Rivers.
He noted that transition of governments in Nigeria was usually associated with crisis, noting that that involving presidents was better managed but worse at the state level.
Jonathan emphasised that outgoing governors and incoming ones must know that they have to work together for the collective interest of the citizenry of their states.
He stated: “In this case of Rivers, Minister Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara must work together for the development of the land and the people of Rivers State. The tension will not help us.
“Rivers State is very critical in this country. Rivers State is the heart of the Niger Delta. If Rivers State is destabilised, the whole Niger Delta will be destabilised, and it will not end within the Niger Delta alone because I am from this part of the country, and I know how the system works. We don’t want any crisis in Rivers State.”
“Leaders must know that nobody takes 100 percent. You must learn the principle of give and take. So, our political actors must work together if they love Rivers people.
“And, I join the leaders of Rivers State and well-meaning Nigerians, who have been calling for truce, who have been calling for ceasefire, to also re-emphasize that there is the need for a ceasefire. Let us do things that will rather project this state positively.”
Speaking further, the former president made reference to a common saying that ‘when two elephants fight, the grass suffers’, stating that both the governor and the minister were young people.
“They are very young people but they are powerful, and if they continue to fight, Rivers people will suffer. We don’t want the Rivers people to suffer.
“So, we are calling on them to embrace themselves. One hand does not clap. It takes two hands to clap. So, we want them to work together for the collective interest of Rivers people.
“Whatever has happened, has passed. Let us move to a new phase for the interest of the state, for the interest of the Niger Delta, and indeed, the interest of the country,” he added.
The former president then commended Governor Fubara for his vision, commitment and courage to take up the construction of such road that has numerous benefits to include making movement easy, enhancing response time to security issues, promoting integration and economic growth.
He said: “When I was asked to come and flag-off this project, I felt that it is only a person who has vision, and the commitment to develop his people that can do this.
“Your Excellency, let me commend you for your vision and the courage to start this project. In fact, it is not going to be a tea party. If you must develop a nation, region or state, there are critical elements that count. These are good road network, airport, rail and water transport systems as well as security.”
He said that, by providing these enablers, development would thrive in the state.
Earlier, Fubara had assured that his administration was determined to deliver the Trans-Kalabari Road project to stimulate socio-economic activities in benefiting rural communities for overall development of the State.
He advised the people to buy into the project and ward off any form of sabotage that may frustrate timely completion of the project.
The governor said he understood the difficult swampy terrain that the road would traverse and the associated cost but decided to embark on it.
He, however, said he was driven by the need to put the wellbeing and advancement of the people first.
He maintained that there was fund saved from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and federal allocations to fund the project to completion without borrowing.
This, he said, is shown with the state already paying 30 percent of the contract sum to mobilise the contractor to site.
The governor said: “When we went for campaign in the three local government areas of Kalabari Kingdom, we promised you that if you give us your votes and we succeed, we will embark on the Trans-Kalabari Road.
“That is what we have come to do today. We are a government that when we make promise, we keep our promises. I don’t want to talk about politics on this project. I want us to look at the facts. It is a difficult terrain, it is going to be expensive, but we are equal to the task.
“Let me also say it for record purposes, we are not going to borrow to embark on this project. We have saved and we are using our savings to pay off the cost, which we have already done; that is, the 30 percent initial advance payment. So, the contractor has no reason to delay, but to start off the project immediately.”
The governor appealed to the Rumuolumeni people to give the contractor the necessary support to enable them take off without much ado while also urging the Kalabari Kingdom to give the necessary support so that the project will be delivered without any sabotage.
ALSO READ: EU recalls popular bleaching cream, Caro White lotion
