Right of Reply:Wike Not Controversial, A Good Team Player, Works in Sync With His Brother Governors, Says Aide

We consider your analysis of Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in your report captioned “Nigeria’s Presidential Options: The Die is Cast, published on Tuesday, 5 April, 2022, malicious, defamatory, and one that was lost on the objective it set out to achieve.

One do not set out to do honest comparison of persons jostling for the exalted office of the President of Nigeria with a mind cast in nauseating bias. Without equivocation, we are of the opinion that THISDAY succumbed to pedestrian conjecture as touching the personality of the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

The aforementioned report undeniably aimed to make Governor Wike, who was one of the subject it set to do the so called x-ray and profile evaluation on, to be seen in contrary perspective different from how he truly towered, and eminently qualified, among the reviewed presidential aspirants.

Any discerning mind, will easily realise that the goal of recent coordinated barrage by THISDAY is aimed at undermining Governor Wike’s presidential aspiration through the dissemination of misinformation and distortions of his position on national issues.

We have this conviction, therefore, to do this response, just so, THISDAY Newspaper, is not allowed such emboldening gut, if we do ignore its grave effort that appeased its personal taste and delight in denigrating the personality of the Governor of Rivers State.

Our response is also not to allow the unsuspecting members of the public to go away, mislead by the foul words, unfitting sentimental overture, and untasteful ingenuity with which THISDAY had painted Governor Wike.

Governor Wike is a bold, servant leader who undoubtedly speaks truth to power always. He is  politician with different orientation because he advocates political accountability and urges electorate to hold politicians accountable to their words and punish them for any unfulfilled promise made towards solving societal problems.

It is obvious that THISDAY is uncomfortable with the overwhelming goodwill Governor Wike currently enjoys, first with delegates in Peoples Democratic Party, and Nigerians who are waiting to bestow on him the mandate to provide the sterling leadership the nation requires at this critical juncture.

How could THISDAY have started the evaluation of Governor Wike with the word “The controversial Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has many limitations…” and we wonder where the Newspaper stands on the journalistic scale of objectivity and  unbiased presentation of the facts without injecting preconceived, cast and biased opinions. What controversy is THISDAY talking about? What limitation is THISDAY drawing up? What does THISDAY even mean by using such word as “reckless”

Truly, THISDAY may not have truly appreciated that Governor Wike is a good team player, and works in sync with his brother governors including party members.

Of note, it must be stated that Governor Wike had deliberately completed the construction of critical roads both in the Port Harcourt city and rural communities of Rivers State. He has built land bridges, flyovers and jetties too. His administration is acclaimed for re-enacting the place of the state on global map as hub of legal education, medical tourism, attracted increased inflow of investments and one of the most peaceful State. All of these required careful planning, expert handling and many months of hard work to ensure adherence to specifications.

Was it not with such dexterity that he was able to map out with the security agencies modalities that were implemented to achieve the peace enjoyed by residents in Rivers State.  If these were achieved in multicultural and ethnic State like Rivers, Governor Wike’s capacity to offer Nigeria transformational leadership is not in doubt.

In the words of the Akpor Consultative Assembly (ACA), while endorsing governor Wike for Presidency, they  had said that “We are compelling him to make himself available because Nigeria needs a man of his status at this perilous time of our history. We need sanity in Nigeria. We need a courageous, youthful leader to man that position. In Governor Wike we see every qualification. In him we see the embodiment of a true patriotic Nigerian.”

Kelvin Ebiri, Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Rivers State.