There is a general consensus that the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike should use the occasion of his visit to Bonny Island to flag off the campaigns for his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and hand over flags to the party’s candidates for various positions to assuage the angst of the people of the area over the obvious lack of development and governance footprint by his administration in the island LGA.

Among the candidates to be given flags in Bonny on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 are the PDP House of Assembly candidate for Bonny Constituency; Victor Oko-Jumbo, and House of Representatives candidate for Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency; Cyril Hart. The State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, who is the party’s candidate for Rivers West Senatorial District, has already been handed her flag at the flag off at Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of the State days ago.  

Wike’s eight-year stint on the saddle as chief executive officer of the State has seen unquantifiable support and invaluable contributions from his henchmen from Bonny LGA both playing assigned roles in the State Government and also ensuring grassroots mobilization and sustenance of his party structure in Bonny LGA.

This tremendous support appears not to have been adequately and justifiably compensated in terms of emplacement of the dividends of governance as across Bonny LGA, there is a gaping hollow point with regards to any identifiable project Wike has flagged off or commissioned across the 12 wards and over 200 communities and settlements in the LGA aside a recently quietly awarded and ongoing land reclamation and bridge repairs project in Abalamabie Community, home of his erstwhile Commissioner for Local Government and party leader in Bonny LGA, Rodaford Longjohn. This obviously calls for concern as his days in office wane.   

It can be said that the recent performances of the incumbent LGA Chairman, Anengi Barasua, who obviously must have done what she is doing with the tacit approval of the Governor being the head of government and party leader in the State seems to have obviated to an extent the resentment felt by the people towards him and his party.

That Wike insisted on female vice chairmen across the 23 LGAs back in 2018 when the local government administration was to be reset and also gave the nod for Barasua to mount the saddle of government in Bonny LGA upon the unfortunate and sad demise of her erstwhile boss, late David Irimagha remains something all Bonny people commend him for. And this positive appreciative posture has been justified by the leg-in-mud, hand-on-saddle and back-to-work disposition with which the LGA Chairman chased her duties upon assuming office with tangible developmental footprints to show for it.

To many in Bonny, Nyesom Wike should not only pat his LGA Chairman, Anengi Barasua, on the back for calming down tempers through the instrumentality of her performance but also cash in on the moment by closing out on a high note with Bonny LGA in terms of project delivery and tasking his man, Siminialayi Fubara, to mainstream Bonny LGA as a project delivery hub. Fortunately, Fubara understands the place of Bonny in relation to his own ancestry and historical origins. The last few days of Wike on the saddle should be used to close this emotional gap.

This position is strengthened by the ironic reality that Bonny LGA remains Nigeria’s and Rivers State’s cash cow which is contributing on record about three per cent of Nigeria’s GDP and almost a quarter of Rivers State’s revenue inflows. It also remains the only or most peaceful LGA in Rivers State and Nigeria. These are credentials that should not be overlooked but be compensated adequately in terms of project emplacement, empowerment dispensing and people promotion.

Nyesom Wike, as part of his itinerary in Bonny, will be at the King Perekule Palace to pay courtesy call on the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, which would be his first in his eight year rule, it would be fine to assure the King that the Rivers State Government under his watch did not ignore Bonny Island but views the area as a key contributor to resource aggregation and critical partner in nation building which deserves the best of compliments it can get both from the Rivers State Government and Nigeria, as a whole.   

As excited as Bonny people are to see the Governor, his deputy; Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, who is their dear wife, his party’s guber candidate; Siminialayi Fubara, who is not only their brother but a titled citizen, Amaopusenibo, of Ibani nation, which comprises Bonny and Opobo Kingdoms, and all other party bigwigs, it should be understood that generally Bonny people hardly hold grudges against anyone hence their positive disposition to welcome their Governor whether he has done them well or not. Let Wike make the best of the opportunity.