Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has given assurance that he will continue to conduct the affairs of government in a manner that will not undermine the interest of any ethnic group resident in the State.
The governor gave the assurance when he played host to leaders of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), led by its Chairman, Prof. Ango-Abdullahi, in Port Harcourt yesterday.
The Northern leaders were there to meet with their kith and kin in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest that was hijacked by the proscribed Indigenous People Organisation of Biafra (IPOB) in the State.
Governor Wike applauded the leaders for the visit to ascertain what actually happened during the #EndSARS protest. According to him, it was sad that people will do the wrong and dubiously tie any effort made to correct them to politics and ethnic bias just to deepen the divide among Nigerians.
The governor also said he had raised alarm against the danger of insecurity after a cultist killed over one hundred persons on a particular Christmas’ eve in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local government of the State. But, regrettably, the Federal Government reduced the issue to politics, and today, insecurity is ravaging every state of the federation.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi said though they had received complaints from their kith and kin about what happened during the #EndSARS protest, they decided to visit the South to ascertain the facts. He explained that based on the Forum’s interaction with northerners living in Rivers State, they seem fairly comfortable and satisfied residing in the State.
According to him, the kind of empathy, sympathy and care that Governor Wike has shown as a leader, was worthy of emulation.
Other members of the NEF delegation include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba; former NRC presidential candidate, Bashir Othman Tofa; Hakeem Baba Ahmed; General Saleh Maina (rtd) among others.
