Dickson hits Wike over ‘ethnic disharmony’ in Ijawland

Governor Henry seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has accused his Rivers State counterpart Nyesom Wike of inciting ethnic disharmony in Ijawland in pursuit of a supremacist agenda.

Wike had threatened to sanction the Amanyanabo of Kalabari, an Ijaw monarch, for hosting Dickson, without his permission.

But Dickson said Wike did not deserve to be extended any courtesies due to his actions, The Nation writes.

The Bayelsa governor alleged that Wike was using the disputed oil wells to create disunity and to cover up “deliberate underdevelopment” of Ijaw communities in Rivers by pretending to be their champion.

He described Wike’s comments on the oil wells as reckless, childish and uncivilised, and with an evil intent to attack age-long bonds among brothers.

The governor, who said he has been restraining himself from responding to Wike’s unprovoked and unguarded remarks and excesses out of respect for the Rivers people over the years, warned him to stop seeing Bayelsa as an annex of his political empire.

He said Ijaw leaders like him have made sustained efforts to forge solid bonds of unity among the people which people like Wike and others cannot destroy.

Dickson said he led a pan-Ijaw agenda, which has culminated in the building of solid bonds of unity across the six states to which the Ijaws are indigenous, which Wike considers a threat.

He said further that Wike’s expansionist agenda has led him to start needless wars with all the neighbouring states of Imo, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa to the detriment of South-south unity.

Dickson condemned what he called Wike’s needless antagonism to him and Bayelsans over the years and his recent unprovoked outburst concerning an area with a very volatile history.

He said:

“The governor of our neighbouring state, Governor Wike of Rivers State, who by the way is used to making careless and very childish remarks from time to time, went into his habit some few days ago.

“Let me put it on record: this is the first time I will formally respond to Wike’s childishness in this formal way. I have always ignored with pain and regret all the previous vituperations and his attempt to belittle and intimidate this state and our leadership.

“His unfriendliness towards this state is not hidden. It’s not just me; it’s about our state and our people. He has done that a couple of times but I decided to stomach it for several reasons.

“Also, my involvement in the affairs of the Niger Delta and my commitment to the wellbeing of our people made me to always shy away from having open confrontations with a brother governor, particularly of a state that is so closely tied to our state.

“As we speak, because of the level of social and business interactions, most of our people and leaders live in Port Harcourt, and so, I have been very reluctant since he started his hostility towards us.

“I have been very reluctant even to respond publicly, out of respect for our historical ties, respect for the good people of Rivers State itself, whom he is misrepresenting. Wike can attack Bayelsa because he doesn’t have his indigenous Ikwerre people in Bayelsa state.

“But the Governor of Bayelsa has his indigenous Ijaw people who are major stakeholders in Rivers State. So, as a result of these, for the past four to five years, since he started his childish and unguarded behaviour, I’ve been very reserved in responding.

“But I have had to formally do so and Governor Wike knows that I’m not someone who shies away.

“I have had to hold myself because the Governor of Bayelsa represents much more than the governorship of a state. Out of respect for our people in Rivers, I’ve always held back, but this time, no, he has gone too far.

“And so, I want to use this opportunity to condemn the way and manner he threatens and shows disrespect to our leaders in that state and I want to particularly respond to what he said concerning my visit to our revered leader and father, the Amanyanabo of Kalabari, who will be 90 years next year.

“And I want to make it clear as governor of this state, either me or any other person who will be governor; we don’t need Governor Wike’s permission to visit our traditional rulers and elders in Port Harcourt or any part of Rivers State.

“Since he doesn’t understand courtesy and is not prepared to show courtesy, then that courtesy will not be extended to him. Bayelsa is not an annexe of Rivers State that he can intimidate at will.

“If we are quiet, it’s because it is strategic, especially with me as the oldest governor even in the Southsouth, but this nonsense from Wike must stop.”