By Ajemina Justice Jumbo
Gov. Wike’s crime against Bonny people is outrageous, he treats us like second fiddle. He has no regard for the Bonny people.
Firstly, he comes into Bonny for an official purpose, the foundation laying ceremony of Bonny National Grammar School, without paying a visiting homage to our King, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, which is disrespectful and abnormal.
Other Leaders, be it Queen Elizabeth, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Governors or Ministers have all paid that visiting homage to the King of Bonny Kingdom but Gov. Wike disrespected our King by not visiting the Perekule Palace when he came to Bonny for the said purpose.
Secondly, when the Bonny-Bodo road project was to be kicked off in Bonny by Mr. Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, the Governor gave an order to the school authority in Bonny (precisely, the Principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Finima) not to allow their school compound to be used for the said purpose.
Another disregard to the Bonny people, irrespective of the fact that this project has been long awaited but Gov. Wike tried to frustrate it just for selfish political reasons, which was why the kick-off ceremony was done at the front of Shell Petroleum Development Company gate in Bonny.
Thirdly, Gov. Wike has not completed any project in Bonny LGA unlike in other local government areas in Rivers State. And this is irrespective of Bonny’s economic contributions to the State treasury via the internally generated revenue. This, his disregard, has left our students in BNGS without classrooms.
Fourthly, under the leadership of Gov. Wike, Bonny has lost the PDP return ticket to the House of Representatives (Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency), which is our turn based on the gentleman’s agreement between Bonny and Degema people. Bonny is supposed to complete the remaining four years term at the Green Chamber but Gov. Wike robbed us of that position for obvious political reasons.
Finally, in the 2019 Rivers State budget, Bonny was only captured for the same BNGS project, which is the height of insult to Bonny people.
These and many more are the crimes of Gov. Wike against Bonny people, in the history of Rivers State governance, Bonny has never been this relegated before.
I feel embarrassed and pity for my people.
Ajemina Justice Jumbo, a development activist and Founder/Executive Director of Brightminds Initiative, wrote from Bonny Island, Rivers State.
Caveat:
This article is published unedited and remains the opinion of the maker and does not in anyway represent the views of Kristina Reports.
Is it not time that we took stock of our sins against ourselves and Wike? How have our political and traditional leaders represented us at d State level? Have they shown true commitment to d cause of d Kingdom or to their personal desires? Have we taken necessary steps to make ourselves, Kingdom and Local Government Council relevant in d polity of d State and Country? We must learn to put our common interests above personal interests.