Non-indigenes petition Buhari over wike’s sack threat

Non-indigenes in Rivers State under the aegis of Endangered Non Indigenes Forum in Rivers State (EINFRS) have cried out to President Muhammadu Buhari, pleading with him to come to their rescue, following the threat by Governor Nyesom Wike to crack down on them as part of his determination to deal ruthlessly with associates and loyalties of the immediate past Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

The SOS came on the heels of report that the eight-man Committee set up by Chief Wike to compile the names of non-indigenes in the State Civil Service and business outfits belonging to non-indigenes has secretly submitted its report. According to the report, the crackdown will be in phases and will start with the sack of non-indigenous civil servants starting from third week of July,2015.

Based on this sad development, EINFRS has petitioned President Buhari, pleading that he should come to their aid before Chief Wike endangers their lives just because they, in keeping with their pact with Amaechi, actively supported his (Buhari’s) candidature to that of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Part of the petition signed by the Forum’s Secretary General, Dr Ndubuisi Nwakadibia reads: “Mr. President, you have through your sagacity and revolutionary leadership since your inauguration as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces brought peace, tranquility and integration to all Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic and tribal backgrounds. It is sad that unlike other States enjoying peace and democracy Chief Nyesom Wike, the Governor of River State, has made it a policy to torment our people for supporting your candidature instead of that of Dr Jonathan Goodluck, the former President, during the March 28th Presidential election since his inauguration as the Governor of Rivers State. He has embarked upon on an ignoble decimation of APC structures, retrenchment, sack, intimidation, harassment and victimisation of non-indigenes, particularly APC members and supporters resident in Rivers State. Your Excellency, Sir, we are by this petition appealing to you to use your good offices and effervescent nature to call Chief Wike to order, and SAVE US from this unwarranted, unprecedented and provocative onslaught against us for failing to identify with his evil agenda against us and the people of Rivers State. As we told you during our Town Hall Meeting with you at Obi Wali's International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt in March, 2015, we have no other State to go to apart from Rivers State as most of us were born in Rivers State and for Chief Wike to continue to intimidate us in a State we have contributed much to build is not our ideal of democracy.”

EINFRS appealed to President Buhari to remember and adequately appreciate Amaechi’s contributions to his victory. “We wish to appeal to remember all the risks that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi took to ensure the success we recorded in the Presidential polls and ensure that he is comfortably accommodated in your administration as anything less than this will amount to adding to the pain that we are currently going through in Rivers State,” the group stated.

By Nwaorgu Faustinus