Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has declared his state is no part of the IPOB-led agitation to break up Nigeria which he believes must remain indivisible and united.
“Rivers State and its people believe in the oneness and unity of Nigeria and that is our stand. In Sokoto, we have a father in the Sultan. In fact, he is a father to all Nigerians and he is a peace builder in this country and beyond.
He said this on Tuesday at the Sultan’s palace in Sokoto when he led a high-powered delegation of traditional rulers and leaders of thought from Rivers on a Sallah visit.
The secessionists, comprising mainly the Indigenous People of Biafra, had been banking on the hope the oil-rich region will align with them to form the Biafra republic.
He noted there are better ways to solve the agitations and problems facing Nigeria, rather than seeking a break-up.
According to him, it is the duty of Nigeria’s leaders of Nigeria to find lasting solutions to the various challenges confronting the nation
Wike told the palace he has been friends with the Sokoto Gov. Aminu Tambuwal since before his emergence as a Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“And this will be sustained despite the fact that we belong to different political parties,” he added.
Tambuwal, who accompanied Wike upon the visit to the palace, had earlier said that the visit could not have come at a better time than now.
He expressed the hope that his visit would help to strengthen the bond of unity between the two states.
In his remarks, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar described the ongoing agitations in the country as symptoms of the rot in the Nigerian system, adding that although a lot of things have gone wrong in the past, hope is not lost.
“A lot of things were done in the past by some people with impunity and nothing was done. That is why you find a shortage of good governance now weighing us down in the country. However, as it is now, no matter how bad your hand is, you cannot cut it and throw away,” he added.
The Sultan called for dialogue to resolve all the misunderstandings and problems in the country, saying that Nigerians should work together, retrace their steps and move forward.
“We are not short of statesmen across Nigeria and they should help the country by championing the dialogue,” he said.