THE NATION

Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr Dakuku Peterside has told Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to stop humiliating monarchs.

A statement yesterday by his media team faulted how the governor addressed traditional rulers during their quarterly meeting in Port Harcourt.

The statement reads: “Wike’s penchant for embarrassing our traditional rulers is becoming irresponsible and shameful. Never in our history have we had such a disrespectful governor. Since 2015, Wike has sacked, deposed and withdrawn recognition from many royal fathers without any recourse to history, tradition and culture.

“Not too long ago, the governor threatened to depose the Amanyanabo of Kalabari, King Theophilus Princewill, just as he has severally lampooned others as if they are his servants. The governor must be called to order by well-meaning Rivers people and other Nigerians. He is turning himself into a feudal lord and an emperor at the same time.

“History is replete with his likes that ended up badly, after turning themselves to tiny gods.”

Peterside urged the monarchs to overlook the disrespect, saying as fathers, they should regard Wike’s utterances as those of ‘a child who lacks home training’.

But the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paulinus Nsirim, said Peterside was seeking political relevance ‘through a jaundiced interpretation of a mischievously edited video’.

According to him, Peterside and ‘his faction of the defunct APC’ procured the video to mislead the public.

He said: “Governor Wike was responding frankly to the address of the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of the Rulers wherein the chairman requested that non-recognised traditional rulers should be checked by him. The governor directed the Attorney-General to prepare an executive bill to resolve the issue.

“He went ahead to urge the monarchs to always attend government functions with their official staff of office, following a formal request by the monarchs.

“For Peterside to attempt to use a frank discussion between the governor and the monarchs to seek relevance is a confirmation of the total rejection that he suffers with members of his party. As a political toddler who is being breastfed, Peterside still relies on mischief to remain relevant. He goes about paying social media cheerleaders to cast aspersion on the governor on the premise of a manipulated video.

“We understand Peterside’s frustration following his in 2015. But he cannot climb the political ladder on the premise of needless falsehood and mischief.”