By Jackson Udeani – The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State has denied giving any precondition to work with Governor Nyesom Wike for peace to reign, saying no sacrifice would be too much for the security of lives and property in the state.
The party said instead that it was Mr. Wike that has failed to act in good faith to overtures from the opposition on the path to peace and progress in Rivers.
Rivers APC Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, in a statement made available to News Investigators, said it has not demanded the completion of projects by the previous administration as pre-condition for accepting the olive branch offered by the Governor in his broadcast, adding that no such pre-conditions were issued in whatever form, publicly or privately.
Mr. Finebone stated that “for the avoidance of doubt, we stand by the suggestions made through Distinguished Senator Andrew Uchendu at a Press Conference as the way out of the present state of insecurity our dear State is wallowing in.
“We have no doubt that if the Wike government had not abandoned, but improved upon the security architecture put on ground by the Amaechi administration including the C4i infrastructure; if the various human capital development projects and programmes such as foreign scholarships were not abandoned/discontinued but continued, and consolidated upon by the Wike government, insecurity would have been stemmed.
According to Mr. Finebone, “If the various projects such as RSSDA, Songhai Farm, Banana Farm, Buguma Fish Farm and many others that provided employment for our people were not abandoned or destroyed by the present government; the present killings and large-scale insecurity would have been stamped out or, at least, stemmed significantly.
“We believe that the widespread hopelessness and despondency bedevilling our youths is, to a high degree, the cause of the present insecurity pervading our land,” he further stated.
Adding: “We unequivocally insist that these suggestions freely offered remain suggestions and not pre-conditions in any way. Our interest remains the wellbeing of the people and all residents of our dear State.
“Rather than the APC give pre-conditions, it is the governor that has given the acceptance of his olive branch as a pre-condition for taking definite, concrete and altruistic steps to ensure political harmony in the State.
“We accepted the olive branch in the belief that such political harmony will engender peace, security and development in the State. The inaction following our acceptance and the recent twist of facts by the Governor tend to confirm the cynicism of some APC members who questioned the sincerity of the offer.
“We would like to assure the people of Rivers State and Nigerians that we will continue to exercise utmost restraint in our conversations and actions, regardless of the seeming public flip-flops by the Governor.
“We believe that we have shown sufficient good faith and selfless determination to contribute to the kind of peaceful political atmosphere on which security of lives and property can be built in Rivers State. No sacrifice will be too much to make in this regard. It is up to Gov. Wike and his government to acknowledge and reciprocate our good intentions and prove cynics wrong.”
