Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says the exclusion of other regions, especially the South East and Niger Delta from key appointments and absence of social justice were some of the factors causing unrest and violence in the country.
Wike argued that the Federal Government, as presently constituted, had failed to provide responsible government, which he said, necessitated sustainable governance.
The governor stated this during a lecture titled: Governance, Security and Sustainable Development In Africa, Nexus, Challenges And Prospects: Rivers State As Metaphor at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Abuja, Guardian reports.
During the lecture, participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC 14), who are rounding off their studies at the NISS, prior to the award of fellow of security institute (fsi), cheered Wike for his insight and courage in distilling national issues.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari administration cannot be said to be a responsive government that will provide all these, because the government of the day gives one excuse or the other for it failures.
“It is terrible. So, in the absence of a responsive government, there cannot be environmental sustainability because, it requires good governance.
“When the President said over 90 per cent will go to only those who voted for him, that alone can create crisis. That is not the hallmark of good governance. I don’t expect a President of a country to say that he will only recognise those who voted for him. That is not democracy,” he stated.
Wike argued that social justice and equity was fundamental to achieving peace, security and sustainable development, which only good governance could achieve.
He lamented that poor governance at the centre and bad leadership model had continued to characterise Africa’s political, socio-economic and security landscapes.
He insisted that zoning of political position at the state and federal levels represented equity, which he said, ensured peace in any clime, adding: “But the moment anyone begins to think that the position he occupies is exclusive to him, there will be crisis, which ultimately leads to insecurity.
Citing the instance when the Igbo were complaining against marginalisation in appointments into key positions in the country’s security agencies, he said with insecurity, which had assumed frightening dimension, Nigeria could not achieve sustainable development.
Insisting that there was nothing wrong in listening to the Igbo, he said:
“What is wrong in sitting back and say, we are all one and we want this country to be together for us to achieve sustainable development?
“Because if the Igbo and other sensitive parts of the country like the Niger Delta region are alienated from the core of the country’s political and socio-economic considerations, they will begin to believe that they do not belong to the system.”
