Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says he has no apology for the demolition of a Bayelsa state government property in Port Harcourt.
The governor blamed Bayelsa for the circumstances that led to the demolition of the property located at Akasa Street in Old Government Residential Area of Port Harcourt.
Briefing journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport on his arrival from Europe on Thursday, Wike explained that in line with the Rivers State government urban renewal programme, a formal letter was written to the Bayelsa State government in August 2021, over its dilapidated property inherited from the Old Rivers State.
“It is most unfortunate, when you have leadership failure that is what you get. I have never seen a hostile government against Rivers State government like that of Bayelsa. It’s most unfortunate. When I was away, I read from the media the rantings of the Bayelsa State government through the Commissioner for Lands.
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“In August 2021, we wrote to the Bayelsa State government that with urban renewal policy and with the money we have spent, that it will be unfair to us if we allow such property belonging to them to remain there without any, maybe, a new development.”
Wike said he had met severally with his Bayelsa counterpart, and enjoined him to either renovate or build a benefitting edifice on the parcel of land because the formal existing structure contravened the Rivers State Urban Renewal Policy.
“I spoke to the governor of Bayelsa State, Douyi Diri, severally. I said look, ‘it is better you renovate, bring down or build a new thing for your State’. I am not claiming that the property belongs to us, but we have a right to talk about development in our State. No State can determine the level of development that should occur in another State.
“So, in 2021 August, not only did I write a letter to him, in all our meetings then, I told him, ‘if you cannot develop it, you can sell the property back to Rivers State government, we are willing to develop it, but we cannot allow that property to be the way it is’.”
He stated that Diri had acknowledged that it was unacceptable for the property to remain in its dilapidated state, adding that he made the statement in the presence of the governors of Oyo and Adamawa States.
Diri had assured him that the Bayelsa State government would reconstruct the property, but to no avail.
“Ask the governor of Oyo State, ask the governor of Adamawa State, we are colleagues. He (Diri) had promised me that in the next three months, everything will be done. I took him seriously that he meant well for my State and I believed as a colleague, he will not deceive me.
“I’ve said to anybody who cares, the failure of this country is the inability of leadership to take a decision. In one of my routine inspections, I went round and I saw the property. In fact, as I speak to you, no human being worth his salt will allow such structure to be there.”
Wike narrated that even when the Rivers wrote a reminder to Bayelsa, they still failed to act, leaving them with no other option but to demolish the property.
“You cannot have property in this prime area and you don’t develop it, and then criminals use it to torment, terrorise and harass innocent people. And tomorrow, you will tell me Rivers State is not safe.
“Go to Akasa street, you can see what is going on there. If you are a serious government, you cannot allow that. We have no apology. As far as we are concerned, the place has been brought down, we are building judges quarters there.”
The Rivers State governor said it was disingenuous for the Bayelsa State government to claim that the demolition of its property was politically motivated because the State did not support his presidential bid.
He wondered why the Bayelsa State government has always been antagonistic to anything that concerns Rivers State.
“I have never seen a government so hostile to Rivers State like Bayelsa; let the truth be told. Every time politics will come in. Vendetta for what? Bayelsa has been the clog in the wheel of progress of Rivers State government.
“We had a joint property where Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over. NEW engineering works in Trans Amadi, AMCON took over the property and advertised for sale, Rivers State government, said look you can’t do it.
“We are ready to buy it. Bayelsa State knew about it. When Rivers State government purchased it from AMCON, Bayelsa State government went to court against Rivers State government. So, it is unfortunate.”
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