Rivers: New LG Chairman Removes Wike’s Name From Council Building (Video)

Chijioke Ihunwo, the newly inaugurated chairperson of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, has ordered the removal of the name of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike from a building at the council secretariat.

The administrative building, which was previously named after Wike, will now be known as “Obi Wali House.”

Ihunwo issued this directive on Monday during his visit to the council secretariat, just hours after suspected hoodlums set fire to the Ikwerre and Emohua local government secretariats.

This action to rename the Wike Building marks one of Ihunwo’s first decisions following his election in the local polls held on Saturday. The elections were conducted amidst heightened tensions as the police had earlier declined to provide security, citing a court order.

However, after the elections were concluded, the police lifted the seal on all council secretariats in the state.

Speaking in a video posted on his X handle, Ihunwo explained his decision to renamethe Wike Building, “I want to advise the Rivers State Police Command to remain neutral. We are ready to protect this local government, even if it means dying for it. They have burnt Ikwerre and Emohua council secretariats, but we are prepared for them.”

Pointing to the sign with the inscription “Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike ADMIN BLOCK,” Ihunwo said, “He (Wike) does not allow the people to rest. On that note, as the chairperson of the council, I have renamed it Obi Wali House.” His announcement was met with cheers from those present, and Ihunwo vowed that the changes would be implemented immediately.

Watch the video below;

Wike, who served two terms as the chairperson of Obio/Akpor local government between 1999 and 2007, went on to become the chief of staff to then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi and later served as Minister of State for Education under President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, Wike became the governor of Rivers State and was re-elected in 2019, serving until 2023, before being appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by President Bola Tinubu.

Ihunwo’s decision to rename the building after the late Obi Wali, a political figure from Obio/Akpor, holds symbolic significance. Wali, a senator who represented Port Harcourt, was tragically murdered in his home by suspected assassins in April 1993. The Rivers State Government had previously honoured Wali’s legacy by commissioning the Obi Wali Conference Centre in Port Harcourt in 2014, in recognition of his political and literary contributions.

The renaming of the administrative block adds another layer to the ongoing political tension between Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as the two continue to battle for control of the political structure in Rivers State.
Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG