By Abubakar Abubakar
AN enigma is described as something hard to understand, an inscrutable or mysterious person.
Unfortunately, what people do not understand, they give names. For some people, their only understanding of EZENWO NYESOM WIKE, CON, is from the narrow prism of what is being published from Rivers State politics, however far from all the happenings in Rivers State, Barrister Wike represents something different in politics and governance.
Ezenwo, which is an Ikwerre translation of the Igbo name Ezenwa, literally means a special child or a prince. This is why to understand Chief Wike, one must see him from the prism of a King.
A King that is fearless, courageous, forthright, and determined will a will to make sustainable difference and impact.
More than that, he represents a goal getter and an achiever par excellence.
True, situating all of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is as difficult as it is to capture in a breath what he embodies; a courageous fighter, a developer of infrastructures (Mr Project), an insightful and dependable ally, focused, unabashed, purser of excellence, destabilized and effective personality, all these embodied in one, is difficult to comprehend.
However, the easiest prism is to look at Chief Wike as Mr. Project; a builder of infrastructures and a builder of men.
All through his political journey, the evidence is clear, just like 7up.
From becoming the Executive Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area in 1999 through to 2007, and the Minister of State for Education and later Minister of Education, to becoming the Governor of Rivers State for two tenures and currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, he has embodied and epitomized Mr. Project.
Everywhere Wike went, he leaves indelible prints of gold on rock-strong achievements; characterized by a redefinition of governance in the areas of landmark projects, infrastructural development, reforms in education, reforms in healthcare, reforms in security, reforms in sports, reforms in rural development, reforms in justice and urban renewal.
These are the indices with which one can identify and measure Chief Nyesom Wike.
As the Executive Chairman, Chief Wike was the best Local Government Chairman of his State, an honour he held for the two tenures that he served.
Relentless in the pursuit of national development, Chief Wike led all the other Local Council Chairmen across the country to commit to effective grassroot development.
As a Minister of State for Education, Wike’s impact did not diminish, instead it excelled in several areas, such as:
Establishment of Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny. Establishment of Faculty of Law, University of Port Harcourt. Construction of Biological Science Building, University of Port Harcourt. Special Intervention for Federal College of Education, Technical, Omoku for key projects. Construction of Special Vocational School for boys at Ogu / Bolo Local Government Area. Construction of Junior Model College in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Complete Rehabilitation and Equipping of 22 Existing Secondary Schools in all three Senatorial Districts of the State.
Distribution of over 4 million Textbooks and Resource materials to Basic Educational Institutions in the State.
Training of over 20,000 (twenty thousand) Teachers and Basic Education Administrators in the State.
Appointments of several indigene of Rivers State into Federal Ministry of Education Parastatals.
Award of Scholarships to many Rivers indigene.
Sitting of National Teachers Institute (NTI.) Data Center in Port Harcourt.
Sitting of National Open University of Nigeria Study Centre in Port Harcourt.
Rehabilitation of Classrooms, Laboratories and Hostels at the Federal Government College, Port Harcourt.
Rehabilitation of Classrooms, Laboratories and Hostels at the Federal Government College, Abuloma.
Others are rehabilitation of Classrooms, Hostels and Workshops at the Federal Science and Technical College, Ahoada. Construction of Electronic Library, Federal Government College, Port Harcourt. Construction of Electronic Library, Abuloma.
Special TETFUND High Impact Development Fund of N1 billion to the University of Port Harcourt. Several duly registered Rivers born contractors for the first time benefitted from the Federal Ministry of Education contracts for key projects. Over N1 billion grant to the University of Port Harcourt from the World Bank for Scientific Research.
Special Intervention Projects at the State-owned Polytechnic Bori (now Ken Sarowiwa Polytechnic). Special Intervention Projects at the State-owned Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni. Employment of Rivers people into the Ministry of Education.
Later as the Minister of Education, Chief Ezenwo, expanded access to the quality of basic education for millions of children through free education in all public schools nationwide at both the primary and secondary schools, establishment of the Almajiri School Program and the Special School for the Girls Program and others.
Chief Wike in 2019 offered free JAMB registration for all indigenes.
Chief Wike also provided over 4million textbooks and thousands of different resource materials and teaching aids to public schools all over the country.
His glowing achievements as a two term governor of Rivers State bears eloquent and loud testament of his relentless pursuit of achievements.
The new Government House Clinic was fully equipped with state-of-the-art operating theatre, top anaesthesia ventilator, ICU Room, Endoscopy Suite, MRI Machines, Laboratory, Pharmacy and 24 hours ambulance service to serve elder statesmen, Government House personnel, judges and legislators.
The clinic was endowed with a host of other equipment that perfectly conform to international standards.
Aside that, Chief Nyesom Wike constructed three flyovers simultaneously at Garrison, Rumoukoro, and Artillery all in PortHarcoirt.
In his drive to demonstrate unflinching commitment to give his people a true Rivers State that they can be proud of, Chief Wike also embarked on the dualization of several roads,
It is on record that Wike constructed about 1000Km road infrastructures, built for the courts, provided official vehicles and enabled judicial officers of both the state and federal government with lifelong accommodation.
Chief Wike strengthened the right of women to inherit properties and encourage women to fearlessly claim what rightfully belongs to them.
Now as the Minister of the FCT, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike in a consistent, proactive and unwavering commitment to national development, progress and service, Chief Nyesom Wike, has remained undaunted by the campaign of calumny against him but resolutely surpassed all his predecessors and the expectations of his traducers and remained an epitome of infrastructural development and national growth and identity.
His initiatives in the FCT are tangible, invaluable and exemplary, bearing and confirming distinguisingly that the trust reimposed on him by Mr President is not misplaced.
Among the eloquent testimonies of Chief Wike’s overwhelming achievements are;
The Federal Secretariat (First Phase), the Abuja Metroline, Southern Parkway, Roads B6 and B12, the Vice President’s Official Residence, Wuye Interchange, Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), among others.
Chief Wike has instilled sanity in the FCT, deterred corruption in the FCT administration and foster sustainable probity, accountability and transparency.
Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike’s excellent performance as Minister of Education during the Jonathan era, the launch of several projects as Governor of Rivers State and his stewardship as the current Minister of the FCT are all undeniable, tangible proves that he is a builder of infrastructure.
The scale and pace of achievements recorded is unmatched, unprecedented and simply a wonder to all.
Abubakar wrote this piece from Lugbe, Abuja.