Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has stressed that he does not support the call for the Balkanisation of Nigeria and that Rivers State is not part of Biafra.
Wike noted that every country in the world has its own peculiar challenges, Nigeria inclusive and as such the government and people of Rivers state does not support the call and agitation for a break-up of the country.
The Governor spoke when he lead a delegation of Rivers State leaders of thought to the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto on a Sallah visit on Tuesday.
Wike said, “Rivers State and its people believe in the oneness and unity of Nigeria and that is our stand. In Sokoto, we have a father in the Sultan. In fact, he is a father to all Nigerians and he is a peace builder in this country and beyond.
“I have also been friends with the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, since before his emergence as a Speaker of the House of Representatives and this will be sustained despite the fact that we belong to different political parties,” he added.
Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar in his response, described the current agitations in the country as symptoms of the rot in the Nigerian system, adding that although a lot of things have gone wrong in the past, hope is not lost.
The Sultan said, “A lot of things were done in the past by some people with impunity and nothing was done. That is why you find a shortage of good governance now weighing us down in the country. However, as it is now, no matter how bad your hand is, you cannot cut it and throw away.”
He advocated for dialogue to resolve all the misunderstandings and problems in the country, saying that Nigerians should work together, retrace their steps and move forward.
Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal who accompanied Wike to the Sultan’s palace stated that the visit could not have come at a better time and hoped that the visit will go a long way in strengthening the bond of friendship and unity among the two states.