Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to heed the demands for fiscal federalism and restructuring, adding that without addressing the issues the country would be on fire.
According to a Wike in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, spoke as a guest for a television programme on Thursday.
The governor stated that the President should give ears and address the grievances of stakeholders of the South-South and other geopolitical zones that met recently with a presidential delegation led by Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
He said: “President Buhari has an opportunity today that Nigerians are saying these are the things we want; these are the things we think can move Nigeria forward.
“And you have to show leadership by saying, I have listened to you and these are things we can implement. You may not necessarily implement everything that the people are talking about or people may want. But let people say that under President Buhari, he has been able to implement one, two, three and four demands by the people.
“But, if he does not take this opportunity now, and does not implement some of these requests, I don’t think it will be very good for Nigeria and for his legacy. I don’t think that will mean well.
“If the president does not do, given the opportunity he has now, then, he will put Nigeria on fire.”
He implored the President that whenever the National Assembly carried out constitutional amendment on restructuring, true federalism and resource control, he should not refuse to assent to it.
He said: “But, again, if constitutional amendment is being made and the President vetoes or says no, he will not sign it like it has happened under the Electoral Act, then it will become a problem for Nigerians.”
“We are playing politics with issues that concerns Nigerians; issues that concern the region. I don’t need to be told, assuming I am a legislator, and something like this happens, I will rush back to the State to meet the governor; to meet the stakeholders and say what we do
“You don’t need to wait for the governor to call you. It is your own responsibility as representative of the people. You heard that your state has been burnt down for example, you don’t expect somebody who is bereaved to begin to call, to say I am bereaved”, he said.
