Rivers State Governor Chief Nyesom Wike has said that no amount of speculation and unprofitable media talk by people who cannot mobilize 25 votes would change his mind about which presidential candidate to support.
Wike spoke to the Egbeda community while marking the construction of the Akpabu-Egbeda-Omoku Link Road in the Emohua Local Government Area, last Wednesday.
The governor said that there was already a lot of political work to be done, adding that these people, instead of undertaking political work, delighted in abusing party leaders.
Such behavior, Wike pointed out, has dire political consequences because they will pay with bitter tears when the reality of their political loss finally faces them.
“If someone wants to, say what they want to say that I am working for such a person, it is their business, say that I am not working for such a person, it is their business.
“That won’t change my mind about where we’re headed. You understand me? So if you want, you can speculate. After all, that is why the word speculation is there.
“Some of them who don’t have 25 votes are busy abusing the leaders. When you are done abusing the leaders (us), you will pay.”
Wike said he and his team were already on the ground and in the political arena talking to people and asking for their votes.
They are doing it, Wike insisted, because it was now well established that only those who bring in development projects were qualified to garner the votes of the electorate.
“We are here talking to our people, they are there on the radio and television stations. We are here talking to our people. When you’re done, by then, it’ll be too late.”
Wike told the electorate to dare to ask those politicians when they come to them, “what did you bring for us? You come empty-handed; you will leave empty-handed. You come with a project, we give you votes. You come with promises, we give you promises.
The Rivers State Governor thanked the people of the Egbeda community for their support of his administration since 2015.
Wike explained that he had long promised one of his sons, David Omereji, to bring democratic dividends to his community.
The signposted Akpabu-Egbeda-Elele-Omoku link road, he said, held one such promise.
But he noted as sad that former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi, whose mother hails from the Egbeda community, described the project as unnecessary and a waste of resources.
“You see, your mother is from here. You didn’t think it was convenient or necessary to do anything for your maternal home.
“Now, our mother is not from here, we are doing something to help her maternal home. You say it’s unnecessary; it is a waste of resources.
“When you have a bad son, he is a bad son. If he’s not a bad boy, he should thank us for taking the shame out of his face. Since you are not ashamed, I will add more things for your maternal home.”
Wike announced the award of the contract for the reconstruction of internal roads within the Egbeda community.
Therefore, he ordered the State Works Commissioner, Dr. Dakorinima Alabo George-Kelly, to ensure that the contractor, MCC, which is handling the road being flagged, stays behind to service the internal roads.
Wike reiterated that his administration does not award contracts for any project if the money is not available.
He assured MCC that they would not be owed for the jobs they were contracted for.
Providing the description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner of Works, Dr. Dakorinima Alabo George-Kelly, said that Akpabu-Egbeda-Elele-Omoku Link Road was 6 km from where the recently opened Akpabu Road stopped. in the Egbeda community.
He explained that the road would serve as an alternative way to travel on the axis of the Egbeda community to access East-West Road in 10 minutes without taking Port Harcourt International Airport Road.
The road, he said, would also improve the movement of agricultural products, facilitate access to health centers and educational facilities.
The chairman of the Emohua Local Government Area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, thanked the governor for the construction of the Akpabu-Egbeda road, adding that the people of the area would speak with their votes in thanks during the February elections.