Wike Labels Nigeria Highest Indebted Nation Globally @61

• Says national dialogue the way forward

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike says despite its huge potential at independence, Nigeria has performed so abysmally to become the highest indebted country in the world after 61 years of nationhood.

He said it is regrettable the country has derailed from the noble path of its patriotic, knowledgeable, and compassionate leaders, who were focused on building a “united, peaceful, and prosperous black nation”.

Governor Wike however said the time has come to take urgent remedial steps and actions at rescuing the country from the wrong direction it has been progressing in the last couple of years.

Speaking at the march-past parade to commemorate Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary celebration at the Sharks Football Stadium, Governor Wike said in the last six years, from 2015, evidence abounds that most countries which Nigeria started out with about 61 years ago have become far more advanced and developed with improved living standards for their people.

The Rivers Governor said constant violation of the constitution by leaders at all levels has weakened the nation’s democracy, and its institutions, and lamented that most unfortunately the National Assembly (NASS) seems to have abandoned its check and balance roles for the executive, with the judiciary even losing its courage, integrity, commitment to justice.

In a statement by Kelvin Ebiri, his Special Assistant on Media, Governor Wike; “In the last six years, our economy has been in tatters and gasping without any realistic hopes for meaningful recovery in the nearest future.

“They, therefore, told lies when they say that our economy is growing and doing well when no one is feeling the benefits of an improving economy if any. Unable to mobilized sufficient domestic revenues, Nigeria is now one of the most indebted countries in the world, yet the Federal Government’s appetite for more loans remains high even as we are approaching the twilight of its tenure.”

The governor, who noted that; “The effect of this is to mortgage the progress and wellbeing of the future generation of Nigerians with billions of debt burden in hard currencies”, said had past leaders towed the path of sustainable growth and development, Nigeria would have actualised its dream of Nigeria to lead Africa and stand tall among the comity of nations.

According to him; “At independence, we were at par and even better in resource endowments and potential for development with our contemporaries like Malaysia, Singapore, and several other countries.

“At independence and even now we are a nation blessed with very hardworking and resourceful people. Our youths are some of the smartest people in the world, doing great exploits, flying our flag, and making us proud across the world in music, dance, acting, culture, arts, sports, academics, and our unique expressions and community ways of life.

“But at 61, it does not seem to me that there is anything worthy of our celebrating except, perhaps, the fact that we have remained independent and managed to struggle with our existence for all these years.”

Insisting that the worse happened to Nigeria due to military incursion into politics, the Rivers Chief executive said the country snapped and set itself on the reverse course because unpatriotic pressure and frustrations were exerted by the successive undemocratic regimes.

Governor Wike said the military sadly created so many fault lines and an ocean of injustices within the polity by jettisoning democracy and distorting federalism through politically motivated balkanization that shaped Nigeria into “inequitable and unviable and dependent states and local government areas.”

While acknowledging that these actions did “blunt, haunt and debunk the basis of the nation’s existence as one indivisible country with one destiny”, the outspoken governor said; “the restoration of democracy in 1999, after a protracted and bloody struggle and sacrifice, again, raised so much hope about the future of Nigeria and the aspirations of our people for a better deal from the government.”

He said it would be beneficial for the country if leaders embrace and promote the “timeless values of the rule of law, judicial independence, inclusiveness, social justice, transparency, and accountability” as the foundation of good governance and transformation.