By DAPO FALADE
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said he has no regret proscribing the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) state due to his belief in the unity of Nigeria.
The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, said Nigerians must, at all times, rise to protect and defend the interest of the country and not allow parochial, sentimental politics to destroy the country.
The governor stated this when a delegation of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) paid him a solidarity visit to commend him for his efforts and dedication to protect the interest of ethnic groups living in Rivers State.
He said the #EndSARS protest was peaceful in the state until IPOB hijacked it and committed arson by allrgedly killing six army officers, four police officers, burnt police stations and courts.
According to him, he cannot sit as the governor and watch such lawless acts to be perpetrated by a people that has been proscribed by the Federal Government to cause ethnic war.
“Without any apology, I am a true Nigerian. I believe that things must be done properly in a way that every component part of this country will be satisfied,” he said.
Governor Wike further said he has never been against any particular ethnic group living in the state, including every law-abiding Igbos, but maintained that, as a governor, he cannot tolerate a situation where some misguided persons, under the guise of IPOB, would unleash attack on innocent Nigerians in Rivers State.
He explained that if the State Security Council was not proactive to impose curfew in the entire Oyigbo Local Government Area, the situation would have degenerated to war between Igbo and Hausa communities residing in the area.
According to him, the decision forestalled ethnic reprisal attacks that would have led to total breakdown of law and order in Oyigbo local government area and parts of the Diobu axis of the state capital.
CNG spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said they were in the state to express their profound gratitude to the governor for his leadership, sacrifice, statesmanship and unwavering commitment deployed in protecting northern communities from the violence and violation of their rights and dignity during the mayhem in Oyigbo.
“Your concerned promptness in redeeming the solemn pledge of N200 million to the families of security personnel affected negatively by the flip side of the protests is certainly reassuring.
“We reasonably believe that if the federal authorities were to emulate the wisdom of offering such incentive to our troops on the front line, it would heighten their morale which is attending present very low,” he said.
The CNG craved the governor’s indulgence, as a caring and compassionate leader, to extend the same magnanimity to the unfortunate victims of the ugly side of the protests from Northern Nigeria to enable them start over.
“Similarly, we are impressed by your level of rare courage and uncompromising stance in the repudiation of the activities of the proscribed IPOB and its fugitive leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in your state.
“This, without doubt, is a commendable feat, because if leaders today need to hear the truth, they should be told that most of them have lost the energy and some of the courage to take responsibility in the interest of national sovereignty, national security, national peace and constitutionalism,” Suleiman added.
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