By Uche Amunike
A former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, Saturday, has given an assurance to Nigerians that he is confident about former River State Governor, Nyesom Wike, bringing great transformation in all ramifications to the Federal Capital Territory as FCT Minister.
Recall that at the time Nyesom Wike was Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, between 1999 and 2002, Igbuya was also the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area. According to him, he had great confidence that Wike, who already had a track record of outstanding performance as a council chairman, Education Minister and Rivers State governor, will do well in his new posting.
He applauded President Bola Tinubu for his wisdom in choosing Wike on merit and track record, regardless of party affiliation, while praying that as FCT Minister, his service would be successful and impactful.
The former Chairman of Patani Local Government Area, Raymond Guana has also extolled Wike and described him as the pride of the class of Local Government Council Chairmen of 1999-2002.
Guana was also the former Secretary of ALGON during the said period and stated that Wike was fundamental to the formation of the current democratic dispensation.
He expressed his congratulations to Wike ss the new FCT Minister, stating that it was a well deserved appointment, buttressing that he was expected to introduce sanity and discipline into the system in order to reset the Federal Capital territory according to its master plan that makes it Nigeria’s pride to the world.
According to Guana, Wike already had a track record of transforming Rivers State to a state identified with massive and critical infrastructural development in his two tenures as Rivers state governor. It was therefore expected that he would be ready to handle the expectations of Nigerians as FCT Minister, by turning the territory into a construction site, as there will be great development in the territory, under his watch.
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, on their part, also applauded President Bola Tinubu for his choice of Nyesom Wike as FCT Minister. They expressed their joy that a southerner was finally appointed a position that had been occupied by northerners since the return of democracy in 1999.
Speaking, through a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the last person to occupy the seat of FCT Minister was late Prof. Miriam Odinchezo Ikejiani-Clark. She was the first woman to be appointed to that position during Gen Sani Abacha’s regime between 1995 and 1997.
Ohaneze Ndigbo expressed its hope that the new FCT Minister will work towards ensuring that the development of the territory will reflect the interest of every Nigerian, rather than become lopsided.
Isiguzoro stated: ‘Ohanaeze Ndigbo is indeed happy that after the last southerner, the late Prof. Miriam Odinchezo Ikejiani-Clark, left office as FCT minister in 1997, President Tinubu has now balanced history with the appointment of another southerner, the Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as FCT Minister.’
‘Abuja under Wike will surely taste the magic wand of Mr. Projects, a nickname for Wike’s for the good governance in River State. Tinubu and FCT residents can now sleep with their eyes closed.’
