Buhari has opportunity to address demands of the people – Wike

TRACKING____Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor, on Thursday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has an opportunity to address the demands of the people or put the country “on fire”.

This came two days after the federal government met with leaders of the South-South region. In that meeting the South-South leaders demanded the restructuring of Nigeria, in line with the principle of true federalism.

Wike said on Thursday during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily “We must understand in this country that political leadership is very key” “Having the political will to implement what the people want is very serious.

“I don’t want to talk about the issue of distrust or no trust in government. People have raised such issues, that they don’t think that nothing will come out of all this dialogue. I don’t agree with that. I believe that if the president does not do, given the opportunities he has now, then, he will be putting Nigeria on fire.”

Daily Times reports that in the hour-long interview, Mr Wike touched on other issues, including the over-politicization of governance in the South-South region and why Nigeria should implement state policing structures.

Wike said while responding to a question about concerns raised by Deputy Senate President and Nigeri-Delta lawmaker, Ovie Omo-Agege that “The problem is that we play politics in everything,”

Omo-Agege, on Tuesday during the federal government’s meeting with South-South leaders, had criticized the bloc’s governors for not consulting with federal representatives from the region before coming up with their demands.

Wike described the criticism as a politicization of governance. He argued that the federal representatives should, instead, have reached out to the Governors.

READ ALSO: South-South leaders are demanding for restructuring

“Unfortunately, you have the South-South zone, where you have PDP governance,” he said. “It is unfortunate. Now, as I speak to you, I have a Minister . . . he has never one day said ‘what do we do for the state, look what I’m thinking’.

“So that opportunity has not been there. We are playing politics, saying these Governors are not members of my party, and so I don’t need to talk to them. And that’s the problem we have always had.”

“And we have said, that is not correct, politics have come and gone, we are talking about governance, what affects the people of Niger-Delta. When the time for politics comes, then everybody will go your own way.”