GOVERNOR of Rivers State, Nyemson Wike said his rising political profile is dedicated to Justice Mary Odili whose timely intervention saved him from being displaced in his second terms bid in 2004 as the Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government, Rivers State.
READ ALSO: AFTER recovering from shock over gruesome murder of her daughter in hospital, Deborah’s mother speaks
Wike, at Sunday’s thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to mark Justice Odili’s 70th birthday and retirement as Justice of the Supreme Court, narrated his cry to the former Rivers First Lady when his was not listed among aspirants cleared to contest local government chairmanship at the time.
Speaking during the event held at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa, (CIWA) in Port Harcourt, the Governor noted that the manner Justice Mary Odili presented the matter got her husband, then Governor Peter Odili, to act on it immediately.
He said, first, Dr Peter Odili invited the then Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Uche Secondus, to confirm the observation and thereafter put a call across to then National Secretary of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.
Read also :Atiku: Why I deleted tweet condemning killing of student in Sokoto over blasphemy
He relived that, “That time in 2004, the husband was the governor, so she was going to Bori Camp for women empowerment scheme. I was to run for second tenure as Chairman of my Local Government (Obio-Akpor).
“Now, they were having lunch with her husband and the former State party chairman then, Prince Uche Secondus. And, I was told that my name had been removed in the list. So, I ran down to Government House.
She had finished her own lunch, left her husband and was entering the vehicle. I said mummy I’m finished. She asked what happened, I said they’ve removed my name.
Read also : YOUNG parents of Deborah Samuel mourns gruesome death of their daughter (WATCH VIDEO)
“She ran back straight to her husband and informed him. Her husband asked who removed his name. At that time, Secondus had left. The husband then called the security at the gate, they stopped Secondus and ask him to come back.”
He further added: “That was how I went back as second term Chairman. For me, I can’t talk about my growth without mentioning her. If she was not around that day, to see the governor, you know is not an easy thing.
“Her being around that particular day saved my career in politics. And so that was how I grew from there to become what I am today.”
On the retirement after 44 years of public service, Wike pointed that a vital lesson of life he has learnt from Justice Odili is the determination to build capacity to be successful in one’s career while not ignoring giving requisite attention to the family.
Read also:JUST IN: Asiwaju Tinubu submits APC Presidential Nomination Form
Leave a Reply