As the days to his Imperial rule over oil rich Rivers State, swiftly draw to a close, Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike is in frenzied moves to secure his future, post May 29, 2023.
The desperation with which he has set about this, appears to have prepared the grounds for a major confrontation between the Rivers governor known for his coarse ways, and the interest of a Rivers son, chieftain of the All Progressives Party and Boss of Belema Oil, Engr. Tein Jackrich.
Very dependable sources inform National Point that the brilliant, genteel, focused oil mogul Jackrich, who is one of the Big boys of the APC IN Rivers State and is said to be in process of being groomed for a Ministerial position in the Oil sector. However, his ambition may be experiencing challenges tossed in his path to a Ministerial position to which he is eminently qualified, through the antics of a Wike, desperately seeking the protection and space of relevance and cover from possible questions over his handling of the commonwealth of Rivers people in the past 8 years. According to the source,’ Tein Jackrich stands a great chance of being made Minister . He has been a loyal funding member of the APC and is not known for jumping from party to party and generally being obnoxious. He has always been a calm confident mover. He would make Rivers State and the Niger Delta proud with his contribution to development and knowledge of the sector’. But that plan is facing challenges with the desperate antics of Wike’.
Wike has drawn much attention in the last year over his apparent collapse and loss of composure over his loss of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP Presidential primary. He lost to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
He regularly dances, sings and prances about on television attracting laughter and pitying looks.In addition, in a strange twist, the February 25, 2023 Presidential election widely believed in the state to have been won resoundingly by Peter Obi, Labour Party candidate was literally handed over the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC.
Since that episode, the Governor of the poor, rich state with one of the highest rates of youth unemployment, citizens poverty and rampaging violent gangs engaged in extortion, as well as artisanal refining of crude oil and massive, sustained environmental degradation, has acted in ways that call to question his wellbeing.
Strangely, his survival instincts have not dulled at all, as he has been lately mostly quiet, obviously perfecting his exit plans.
The source noted that, ‘ There is no guarantee that even if Tinubu eventually scales all the legal hurdles currently standing in his way , that he would hand such a juicy portfolio to a Wike. More importantly, there are many hawks around him from his ethnicity, They feel that this time, the position should be given to one of then, a Yoruba. Several of them are jostling for the position, saying it is their turn this time. Jackrich stands a better chance than an unpredictable Wike. However, the Yoruba hawks around Tinubu are determined for a showdown that would compel their principal to give the oil portfolio to a Yoruba.
