‘Buhari said I’ve done well’ — Wike speaks on public service award

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, says the public service award conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari is evidence of his performance as governor.

According to a statement on Tuesday by Kelvin Ebiri, his spokesman, Wike said this at a banquet held at the government house in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital.

The banquet was organised on Monday to celebrate the award conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari as the best-performing state in infrastructure.

Speaking at the event, he also commended the legislative and judiciary for working with the executive and security agencies to keep the state safe.

“If the ruling party (All Progressives Congress) can say you have done well, who is that person? Let them come and campaign here. Bring your report card, I will bring the award and the certificate. President Buhari said, ‘you (Wike) have done well’,” he said.

“Today, we won’t be talking about peace in Rivers if the service commanders and the police are not doing their best. They are putting in their best and for the first time in Rivers state, we are not having a problem.

“Today, they say we are the best in infrastructure delivery. Assuming there is no peace, can contractors work?”

The governor also dismissed claims that he had a preferred successor.

“God gives power. There is never any day I have ever sat with anybody. I challenge whoever will say he sat with me and I made a promise to him that ‘look, the way things are going, you will be the (next) governor.’ If anybody can come out and challenge me, I will resign as governor of Rivers state,” he said.

“I never, because if I did, my conscience won’t allow me to sleep. Anything I tell you I will do, I will do it. It doesn’t matter what it is.”