If there is any public office holder in the present dispensation, who has succeeded in redefining politics and governance, he is Governor Nyesom Wike given his transformation of Rivers State within the short period he is being in power.
For a man who believes that the primary responsibility of government is the welfare of the people, this universally accepted philosophy has guided him since 1999, when he held his first public office as chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Wike had made it clear then that politics is a platform to create economic liberty and opportunities. For him, all that government should do is to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive, so that many will become role players in the economy. That, in a way, sums his political ideal.
Born on December 13, 1963 to the family of Rev. and Mrs. Nlemanya Wike of Rumuepirikom Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Wike attended the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, and holds degrees in Political Science and Administrative Studies as well as Law. He attended the Nigerian Law School and worked briefly at a private firm before he ventured into politics.
He served twice as chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. He first served from 1999 to 2002 and from 2004 to 2007. He served as Deputy President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in 2004 and was later elected as ALGON President during his tenure as council chairman. He also represented Africa as a member of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Local Governments Forum (CLGF).
Those who know Wike very well, say that his stint at CLGF was a big eye opener on how political office holders can use their vantage positions to impact on the lives of the people. It bonded well with his grassroots leaning, and ultimately rubbed off on his development drive. Before then, he had started showing some of his development-oriented qualities as council boss. From road construction and other infrastructural projects, to youths and women empowerment, Wike’s era as chairman opened up the council economically.
There was also a semblance of orderliness within the council area as it was no longer fashionable for refuse heaps to dominate the road and unattended to. Also, motorists who derived pleasure in driving against the traffic, hence endangering the lives of other road users had to adjust to decency or risk being sanctioned by local government officials.
Wike would later emerge as the best performing local government council chairman in Rivers State. It was therefore not surprising, when in 2007 he was appointed Chief of Staff, Government House during the Chibuike Amaechi administration.
He was appointed to this position to primarily coordinate the operations of the Governor’s Office, and to help manage the affairs of government. It was while he served as Chief of Staff that political watchers really appreciated his leadership qualities. He oversaw the members of the State Executive Council and the activities of council chairmen.
He knew them on one-on-one basis, and also knew the key political actors in their areas or constituencies to call when matters arose. In 2011, as the chairman of the Amaechi Campaign Organisation, he rallied round politicians across the state, especially serving elected office holders.
It was this position he used in convincing doubters of his deep understanding of Rivers politics. He proved he knew the constituencies, council areas and wards that have benefited from projects, or appointments.
For instance, during a rally at Emuoha that same 2011, a top politician had complained bitterly of his area’s neglect by the government. He set the record straight. There was silence. But the then Chief of Staff, who was busy attending to other issues, quickly moved to the podium, and listed all the projects and appointment that the area got.
He even listed the names of individuals at the ward level who were empowered as if he was talking about his own local government area. “The office of the Chief of Staff, Government House died when I left office in 2011. That office properly coordinated government activities when I was there,” he once said.
It was after Wike left office as Chief of Staff that he shot nation limelight, following his appointment as Minister of State for Education in 2011.
His tenure as Minister of State for Education and later the coordinating Minister of Education witnessed some fundamental changes that many felt was not possible. He was the chief driver of the educational policy of the then Goodluck Jonathan administration. With the Almajiri Educational Programme, he made Nigerians realise that education could be taken to the remotest part of the country for the truly disadvantaged.
To mute the idea and implement it at a time the Boko Haram insurgency was wreaking havoc in some parts of the North does not just show innovative, but a futuristic side.
Besides the Almajiri Educational Programme, Wike also spearheaded other impactful programmes, including the special schools for girls, the establishment of four new federal polytechnics, construction of micro laboratories in federal colleges of education, free textbooks distribution and equipping of workshops of federal science and technical colleges, among others.
Wike saw his assignment of reviving the basic education sub-sector as a collaborative effort between the Federal Government and the states. That was why he held meetings with state governors on the need to pay up their counterpart funds to access the matching grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Those meetings paved way for the working relationship between the Federal Government and the states in the quest to put basic education back on a sound footing.
For Wike, state governments should be carried along in all of the Federal Government’s programmes as Federal Government’s investments in this sub-sector are interventionist in nature. The various local and international awards that he won during his time as Education Minister show the level of contributions he made.
The Rivers State governor strongly believes that the hand of God has a remarkable influence on his rise politically. This explains why he pays serious attention to the activities of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rivers State chapter. The sprawling Ecumenical Christian Centre besides the Silverbird Galleria, which he built at a record time, testifies to this.
But friends and political associates, including those who knew him from his days as council chairman, are quick to add that he also worked very hard to be where he is today. They say he is not a man that does not mean what he says, and that he lets you know when he disagrees with you by stating his mind clearly.
For Mr. Project, as Wike is fondly called by his supporters, democracy should be allowed to breath, and serve the people, hence the need to strengthen the very institutions that allow a vibrant, tolerant democratic environment.
He also feels that governance revolves mainly on service, and that nothing should limit political office holders from carrying out their statutory responsibilities. For him, one doesn’t just aspire to be the governor of Rivers State without knowing how to go about it. He insists that anyone who must lead the oil-rich state needs to dedicate his or her time, resources, energy, and above all, have the support of the people.
There is no doubt that Wike knew exactly what was in store for him in early 2014, when it became clear that he would contest the governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Then, politics of bitterness had taken centre stage so much that politicians, who once ate from the same plate and drank from the same cup, were busy calling themselves unprintable names.
When he eventually got the governorship ticket of the PDP, and defeated Dr. Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 governorship election, his main challenge was how to resuscitate governance in the state. This spurred him to hit the ground running immediately.
No doubt, Wike’s extraordinary performance in projects execution, massive construction of roads, education, health, management of resources and many others is responsible for the accolades he has continued to earn within two years he has been at helm of affairs in Rivers State.
By: Emmanuel Masha