Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu
Following the protracted political battle between the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and present Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike and the current Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, Mr. Peter Elumelu, a businessman and politician, has called on Wike to allow Fubara govern Rivers State.
Speaking on a range of national issues on “The Naija We Need” podcast monitored by Pacesetter, Elumelu wondered what the battle for supremacy was about, cautioning that it was needless.
In his words, “The problem between Wike and Fubara is just natural. If I have my way, I’ll advice Wike to allow Fubara have his time.
“He (Wike) has had his time as governor, nobody disturbed him, so, he should let Fubara have his time and work.
“Wike should leave the scene. He has done well for the people of Rivers. It is time for him to leave Rivers’ scene and concentrate on his duties as Minister of FCT. He shouldn’t fiddle with the politics of Rivers.
“There’s always this tendency for humans to contend for supremacy but it is not necessary. Once one drops dead, the whole thing ends. Wike doesn’t need to get involved in any supremacy battle”.
On the level of hardship biting Nigerians at the moment, Elumelu commended President Bola Tinubu on doing his best with some of the reforms made so far but adviced the President to ensure his team acts with “human face”, lamenting how some of them act with impunity.
“Our problem is management of our resources. If we can have the right people at the right place, Nigeria’s story will change”, he noted, regretting that racketeering and pilfering in the petroleum industry had become “the order of the day”.
Proffering some solutions, he stated that he observed lapses in the foreign exchange. He called for a correction of the lapses and a realignment of the policies of the Yemi Cardoso-led CBN.
He also called for increased security and effective policing in the country to tackle the ballooning rate of crime and insurgency, lamenting “It’s like we’re in a jungle”.
The former Chairman, Board of Directors of Delta State Urban Water Board, Asaba, also lent his voice to the call for the review of the emoluments of Judicial officers to enable a “change [in] their status”.
Mr. Peter Elumelu is an astute businessman with over three decades of professional experience cutting across the private and public sectors of the economy.
He currently sits on the Board of several companies including Africa Prudential Plc., and Pet Jibson & Company Limited, where he is the Chairman/CEO.
He is also a Non-Executive Director on the board of Transcorp Hotels Plc.
Prior to his appointment, Peter was the Chairman, Board of Directors of Delta State Urban Water Board, Asaba.
He has also taken several courses on corporate governance and risk management. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria.
Previously, he contested for the Federal House of Representatives.