Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stressed that
Nigeria must remain an indivisible and united nation, saying the government and
people of Rivers will not be part of the agitation to break up the country.
Speaking Tuesday at the Sultan's palace in Sokoto when he
led a high-powered delegation of traditional rulers and leaders of thought from
Rivers on a Sallah visit, Wike noted that every nation in the world has its
peculiar challenges
The governor affirmed that the onus is on the leaders of
Nigeria is to find lasting solutions to the various challenges confronting the
nation, stressing that there are better ways to solve the agitations and
problems facing Nigeria, rather than seeking a break-up.
"Rivers State and its people believe in the oneness and
unity of Nigeria and that is our stand. In Sokoto, we have a father in the
Sultan. In fact, he is a father to all Nigerians and he is a peace builder in
this country and beyond.
"I have also been friends with the Governor of Sokoto
State, Aminu Tambuwal , since before his emergence as a Speaker of the House of
Representatives and this will be sustained despite the fact that we belong to
different political parties," he added.
Tambuwal, who accompanied Wike upon the visit to the palace,
had earlier said that the visit could not have come at a better time than
now. He expressed the hope that his
visit would help to strengthen the bond of unity between the two states.
In his remarks, Sultan Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar described the
ongoing agitations in the country as symptoms of the rot in the Nigerian
system, adding that although a lot of things have gone wrong in the past, hope
is not lost.
"A lot of things were done in the past by some people
with impunity and nothing was done. That is why you find a shortage of good
governance now weighing us down in the country. However, as it is now, no
matter how bad your hand is, you cannot cut it and throw away," he added.
The Sultan called for dialogue to resolve all the
misunderstandings and problems in the country, saying that Nigerians should
work together, retrace their steps and move forward.
In that regard, he appealed to Nigerian statesmen to wade
into the matter. "We are not short
of statesmen across Nigeria and they should help the country by championing the
dialogue," he said.
Those in Wike's entourage include former Rivers Governor
Celestine Omehia; former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secundus; former
NBA President, OCJ Okocha; Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional
Rulers and Amanayabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja; Amanayabo of
Abonnema, King Gbobo Bob-Manuel; and Oda of Abua, King Kelly Obunge.
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