Why Buhari must apologise for ignoring Rivers in 2015 – Wike

On Thursday, the governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, has opined that the federal government owes the people of the state an apology for “abandoning” them in 2015.

Speaking at the opening of the government house clinic and administrative building in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Wike said he approached President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 to assist in addressing insecurity in Rivers, but was ignored.

While Wike did not give details on when he visited the president, Rivers was one of the states adversely affected by violence following the April 2015 governorship election.

At the time, Rivers was said to have experienced the highest record of violence following clashes between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike, who contested on the platform of the PDP, had succeeded Rotimi Amaechi of the APC — two years before the election, Amaechi had defected from the PDP.

However, according to Wike, noted that the state is now peaceful, despite what he described as lack of support from the federal government.

“In 2015, when we came on board, there were so many insecurities in the state. I was shouting. I ran to the federal government. I said ‘look, help me; give special forces, as I heard you give to others.’ They said ‘no’,” the governor said.

“So, I came back home and told our people: ‘everybody, kneel down and pray and call God’.

“I told them if they do not appeal and apologise to Rivers state, they will never see peace, and that is what is happening in this country, because they felt this state should go down.

“Their governors were saying we are killing APC people; that the kidnappers were PDP; that we’re killing APC people. Today, what is happening in Kaduna? What is happening in Borno? What is happening in Ondo? What is happening in all areas? Rivers state is peaceful.

“I challenged them whether they gave me one support one day, nobody agreed.”

He, however, urged government at all levels to do more to address insecurity, before the situation gets out of hand.

“Enough is enough, This country can’t continue this way,” he added.