GOVERNOR Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State has been nominated National Daily’s Man of the Year 2016 by the Board of Editors of the newspaper.
The nomination of the Rivers State Governor for the Man of the Year Award was made after in-depth consideration of his sterling performance for the growth and development of the state and his stout battle to sustain liberal democracy in Rivers State against the desperation of political actors belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to capture the state for the ruling party at the centre by all means.
Within one year of assumption of office on May 29, 2015, and beyond, Governor Wike has convinced the people of Rivers State that the social contract he entered with them was for the promotion of the welfare and improvement of the socio-economic-status of the people. Thus, the governor declared that his administration is right on the path of taking Rivers State and its people back to their glory days.
On assuming office, Wike did not hesitate in declaring Operation Zero Potholes on the roads in Rivers State, beginning with Port Harcourt City. It has been acknowledged that Operation Zero Potholes initiated by Wike administration has alleviated the sufferings of the people on various roads as well as reviving job creation at project sites across the state. Thus, contractors who abandoned project sites because of lack of funds and non-payment of contract costs were urgently mobilised back to sites and that has been sustained to date.
Similarly, Wike fast-tracked the reopening of courts in the state which were under lock and key for more than a year to reopen access to justice by citizens in the state. The governor also reopened the Rivers State House of Assembly which was also under lock since 2013 to ensure smooth running of government where the three arms of government have liberty to perform their respective duties for the development of the state.
To boost rapid development of infrastructures, Governor Wike signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two reputable construction companies – Julius Berger and CCECC on road construction in the state.
Other achievements of the governor include the commission of the Faculty of Law building which was abandoned since 1999, 2-bedroom housing units under construction at Iriebe, the Eagle Island Iroabuchi Road, Trans Woji Road, Ogoni Andoni Opobo Road called Unity Road, payment of outstanding fees and arrears for civil servants, pensioners and oversees student on scholarship who were about to be sent out of school.
Governor Wike was also committed to completion of projects left behind by the immediate past administration which are considered beneficial to the people.
Wike also rolled out youth empowerment programmes to enhance job creation towards delivering dividends of democracy to the people irrespective of party affiliations.
Wike’s remarkable leadership quality is his broad dispensing of projects and contract awards to stakeholders in the state without tribal, religious of political biases.
Governor Wike has become a testimony of Nigeria’s best performing governor.
Wike’s milestone has brought revolutionary moments for the people of Rivers State.
Governor Wike was the first State Chief Executive in the country to provide 100 security vehicles to the Police on assumption of office to strengthen security in the state.
Moreover, Governor Wike put machinery in motion for diversification and financial autonomy of the state to avert the consequences of the dwindling revenue from federal allocation. He transformed Port Harcourt into fast regaining its lost glory as the financial hub of Nigeria.
Also, introduction of biometric by Wike in the civil service helped the state to save over one billion Naira previously lost to ghost workers.
The governor, accordingly, improved the State’s internally generated revenue which rose from N4 billion to N9 billion. “Our target is to get to where the allocation from the Federation Account will become irrelevant,” it was declared.
Governor Wike sustained his administration’s proactive policy which led to the tackling of the Lassa fever disease as well as containing its spread in the State.
Governor Wike has successfully fought electoral battles with the APC-controlled Federal Government to maintain the hegemony of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Rivers State. He has made the state extremely difficult for the APC political machine to rig elections. The December 10, 2016 rerun elections were very evident of Wike’s political potency in the state. Thus, he is widely celebrated as Nigeria’s icon of democracy and defender of the people’s right to vote leaders of their choice without intimidation.
It is for these among others that the Board of Editors of National Daily Newspaper has nominated the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike as National Daily Man of the Year 2016.
He will be presented with this award during the forthcoming National Daily Awards which will hold sometime in March this year.