Why my friend, Wike can’t be Rivers governor — Chief Sara-Igbe

Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe is a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State. He has served the state at different times and in different capacities, the last being as Special Adviser on Security Matters to ex-Governor Peter Odili when the latter held sway as Rivers State helmsman between 1999 and 2007.

In this interview, the politician said Rivers people will not allow the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, to succeed Governor Amaechi, warning his party not to throw the state into political turmoil. He also spoke on other issues. Excerpt:

By Joseph Erunke

THE 2015 general election in the country is fast approaching. As a chieftain of the opposition  PDP in Rivers State, what is the strength of your party in reclaiming the state from the All Progressives Congress, APC, given that the Minister of Education appears to be the one being favoured by your party to succeed Governor Rotimi Amaechi?

The Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike cannot succeed Governor Rotimi Amaechi, why because it would amount to his zone taking too much from Rivers State. We have started talking to the leaders of our party in the state against fielding Wike and allowing him to sail through the primary. Wike’s candidature will generate bad blood for the party.

Sara Igbe

I think the party will learn from what happened in Osun State, because when people said look, Omisore has an issue with the people of Osun State and that if this issue was not resolved, they will spring up sentiment with it, some people threw it overboard and when election came, we all saw what went wrong.

Wike, as a person,I will not say he is a bad man or he is a good man but what I am saying is that Wike, as an Ikwere man has spoilt the whole thing because an Ikwere man has ruled. Celestine Omeiha ruled for six months and handed over to Amaechi and Amaechi has ruled Rivers State for over seven years now.

Ikwere has taken it, Rivers State is made of more than 20 ethnic groups. So why must one ethnic group dominate it over the entire state? It is not fair, that is what we are saying now.

So, in essence you foresee crisis in his candidature?

Of course, there will be resistance from the people of Rivers State and don’t forget that Amaechi is a sworn enemy of Wike, it will also generate bad blood and tension. But if somebody else outside Ikwere is produced as a flag bearer of PDP, I think that will bring unity, that will bring reconciliation, that will move the party forward. That is the way I see it. It is not because I hate Wike, no.

Wike is my friend, I have nothing against him but the fact remains that his region has taken governorship.

Let me give you an illustration, no matter what anybody from South South will do—Akpabio, Amaechi, Uduaghan and anybody from South South, whatever you may do, if you come to become president after Jonathan, it will generate tension in the country.

Nigerians will not accept it. Nigerians will ask questions and it can cause a lot of problems in the country. If Jonathan today says he will handover to anybody from the South South or is intending to hand  over to anybody from the South South, you can see the level of heat it will generate.

If he goes beyond South South and wants to handover to anybody from the South, you can see the level of heat it will equally generate.

So, talk of this Rivers State, the Ikweres have had their turn, so if another Ikwere man is coming, you can see the level of heat it will generate. What we are saying is that allowing another Ikwere man to rule Rivers after Amaechi will naturally generate tension in the state.

Let’s look at the oil-bearing communities, the oil bearing communities are not ruling and we are saying give the oil bearing communities the opportunity to rule the state so that they can protect the oil. How can we see what Amaechi has done to us and we will now allow another Ikwere man to come and rule when they don’t have oil. They only produce six percent of the oil in Rivers State.

The Calabari produces 46 percent of the oil in Rivers State and also produces 56 percent of the gas in Rivers State and they don’t allow them to rule and they are the people who are acceptable to any other ethnic group and because one has power or one has money, one has resources, he can coerce everybody to say no, how will that work? It’s not going to work again.

What do you mean by saying ‘what Amaechi has done to us.’ Can you expatiate on that?

What I am saying is that if you look at the budget of Rivers State, more than 80 percent of the budget of Rivers State goes to the upland in terms of capital vote, in terms of infrastructural development. And those people who are benefiting the 80 percent are not producing revenue for the state.

So if today, you are talking of the North oppressing us or that they are not producing, we are saying here that right in our state, in Rivers State, they are some ethnic groups that are doing the same thing and they are not producing and they want to continue to oppress those producing.

How would you take it? It is not going to be easy. That is the issue on ground, not that we hate any particular aspirant or candidate or not that that aspirant is not constitutionally qualified to contest for election. We are saying let us do what will bring peace to the state, let us do what will bring peace to the country. That is our concern.

It appears the leadership of the PDP is favourably disposed to the candidature of Nyesom Wike as governor of Rivers State, in a situation where he scales the party’s primary, are the people of the state going to protest through their votes in the election?

Well, like I have said, the PDP at the national level has not spoken, the PDP in the state which he brought, which is in his palm hand has spoken. We are waiting for the PDP to speak, when we get to the bridge, we will cross it.

How would you assess the leadership of Governor Rotimi Amaechi in Rivers State generally?

Well, Rotimi Amaechi as a governor did well in his first tenure but the second tenure, he is into politics, he is playing politics and his problem with the president of Nigeria who is our son is a serious crisis in the region. So, to that extent that he is playing politics without also looking at the political situation of his region is his own nightmare and his own albatross.

Before the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha created Bayelsa State; it was in Rivers State, so why has it been so difficult for the elders of Rivers State to mediate in the political crisis between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi?

Well, you see, these are two adults. The Rivers State governor is a governor and Mr President is also a president. As elders of the region, we have advised for peaceful resolution of their crisis but like I had said earlier, the issue of the crisis between Amaechi and the president is a self-made scheming of a particular aspirant who feels that that is the best way to achieve his ambition.

And that aspirant has been able to bring fire at the backyard of the president to say well, if you don’t support me, this fire will burn you.