TheCable

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has advised Lai Mohammed, minister of information, to stop “stoking the embers of disharmony”.

The minister had said corrupt elements were the sponsors of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Speaking on Thursday at the All Nigeria Editors Conference in Port Harcourt, Wike said the country needed “forthright leadership and consensus building” to steer it to safer grounds.

“We are only pretending we think that all is well with our country. The country is in crisis as poor governance, nepotism, marginalisation and state-sponsored repression continue to do violence to national unity and cohesion,” the governor said.

“At times like this, the country needs forthright leadership and consensus building to steer the ship of state from the wrong direction it is headed to safer grounds. Nigerians of goodwill must, therefore, call the minister of information to stop stoking the embers of disharmony and divisions in the polity with his irresponsible utterances and wild allegations against members of opposition political parties.”

The governor said the fight for democratic rights and freedom should be led by the media.

“For some of us, therefore, there is nothing nobler than being counted on this path and as long as God gives us breathe we shall remain in the trenches fighting for our democratic rights and freedoms until victory is ultimately achieved,” he said.

“But, we also believe that this is a fight that should and must be led by the media for full effect and agenda setting.

“These calls for greater vigilance and courage in giving effective voice to the contending issues and taking personal responsibility for factuality can’t be otherwise.”

Wike expressed dismay that despite the achievements of his administration, the opposition in the state had continued to undermine development in the state.

“Therefore, when a supposed opposition goes beyond the bounds of decency in conjuring lies to rubbish and undermine every effort of ours to serve and advance the progress of the state, then the media owes society the duty to investigate and expose their mischievous intentions with the facts at their disposal,” Wike said.

“At any rate, those who live in glass houses, they say, should avoid throwing stones. As our representatives in the federal government, are they not responsible for attracting development projects to Rivers state?”