The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, while alleging threats to his life, amidst the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, said those plotting to kill him will die first before they get to him.
Wike spoke on Tuesday when he inaugurated a new Faculty of Agriculture for Rivers State University and commissioned the construction of residential blocks for the faculty in Etche Local Government Area of the state.
The governor said he would never bow to any threat or intimidation and would never appeal to anybody. He maintained as well that nobody could buy him over.
He said: “Don’t rush. At the appropriate time, we will take decisions on what to do. Since 1999, we have brought the highest votes for the PDP. I challenge any state to say they brought more votes than Rivers. Since 1999 I challenge any state in terms of support for the PDP to say it had supported the party more than Rivers.
“Then since 1999 show me one federal project in this state. If you want our votes, tell me what you will give to Rivers. Nothing can be free again. Enough is enough of using Rivers and thinking that we are foolish people, we don’t know what to do with our money.
“Enough is enough of using Rivers people thinking that they will bring the votes and when they bring you will push them away. Tell us what you are going to do for the people of Rivers not for me. There is nothing any of them can do for me. I am interested in my state. Nobody can buy me.
“I am not going to look for positions at the federal level. Have I not been a minister before? So what are you going to entice me now as a person? Nothing. It is for the interest of my state. If you don’t tell me what the state will gain, then forget me.
“No amount of intimidation, no amount of threats of course this government fought us but we survived it. Most of them talking now, if this federal government had descended on them, they would have crumbled.
“They were going to negotiate with Buhari in 2019 and that is why Buhari won his election. They came to me but I said no negotiation, PDP must win. Those of them who could not stand are the ones talking today and opening their mount.
“Those of them, who made sure that PDP never survived since 2015, that destroyed PDP are talking today. Those of them, who left this party are today calling us boys, the boys that stayed back and keep the party. So if you are a Rivers man, you don’t need to be intimidated by anybody.
“I pity any Rivers man going to pick crumbs from the table. We must take our rightful position. If you don’t agree you must agree. So nobody should be worried, intimidating me and some people telling me I should be careful or they will kill you. Kill who? Who told you you won’t die first before you come.
He added, “You don’t need to panic. Let them showcase what they had done in their state before they talk to us. You don’t need to begin to go and beg those who cannot win ordinary polling unit to stay in Abuja to determine to Rivers what will happen. That will never happen.
“Today’s Rivers is not yesterday’s Rivers. You mean as a governor, I will run down to Abuja and begin to kneel down to who? Governor of Rivers to kneel down to who? Where is the person and which state does he come from. All those asking me to come and kneel down, which state do they come from.
“You mean as a Rivers Governor I should come and kneel down for you people. You haven’t started. Some people misunderstood what I said in Abia when I said why do you have to worry God every time. People, I don’t know the kind of school they went to. God had sent you to university to be a lawyer for example. God helped you, you came out and then somebody tells you to prepare a brief for him but you said I will pray to God first. How?
“God has given me the opportunity to be Governor of Rivers State and the resources to do things for my people and I will now say, let me go and pray. Does God make mistakes? God can’t give you this opportunity and equipped you and you think that God is not with you.
“Instead of you to utilise the opportunity God had given you and do something for your people and you say you want to leave it in the hands of God. What kind of laziness is that”.
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