Editorial

There should be a limit to pettiness and indefensible rivalry between tiers of government in Nigeria, especially at a time the country is groaning in pains.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s attack on the Federal Government, on account of a perceived preference for Lagos State, is certainly misplaced. The contention that his state deserved to be placed on the same pedestal with Lagos, in federal grant to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, amounts to taking agitation to a ridiculous level.

The governor ought to realise that the grant is neither a largesse nor the statute-governed revenue allocation. Being the major sea and air gateway into the country, every impartial observer or analyst would realise that Lagos is far more exposed to the disease than any other state. The statistics bears this out as more than half of those who have contracted the disease are being treated in Lagos.

Yet, the infected hail from various states of the country. It is, therefore, preposterous to expect that a state saddled with treating 251 patients (as at April 16), while tracing about 6000 contacts, should be accorded the same status as one that has only two cases, as at same date.

Governor Wike should realise that this is not about sharing the proverbial national cake, nor should governors consider it another opportunity for another security vote they do not have to account for.

This is a serious matter, one bordering on life and death. And in this case not the life of an individual, but a nation. The economy is about being attacked as it’s never been, if the virus is not checked before it eats deep into the fabric of the country. It’s not a hidden fact that the economy that exited a recession less that 24 months remains very weak.

Besides, a near-mono cultural economy that depends on crude oil for three-quarters of its foreign exchange earning, cannot afford to to play Father Christmas with the little resources available, at a time the price of the product has just crashed and remains unstable.

Our politicians, in this case represented by Governor Wike, should know this situation calls for a united front and not the divisive partisan politics they are used to playing.

If any federating unit should call for help, it should be Osun State that has borne the brunt of treating 20 imported cases, not Rivers. What about Oyo, Kaduna and Bauchi states — or even Kano, fast racing up the national ladder of COVID-19 cases with 21, as at April 16?

Read Also: Edo, Katsina, Rivers lock states, cities

Flexing muscles with the Federal Government is absolutely unwarranted. Last week’s arrest of pilots and crew of Cavelton Helicopter’s flight to Port Harcourt’s Air Force Base, and their hurried arraignment and remand, portray the governor as one spoiling for a fight — or how was Wike’s personal participation in the exercise to be explained?

He said he was acting on “credible” intelligence and would not allow enemies of Rivers State to import COVID-19 into the state. When did the Federal Government become Rivers State’s enemy? Getting detained pilots on official duty, flying an aircraft duly cleared by aviation authorities, is reckless. But it is good to know the pilots are now out on bail.

We commend the civil manner the Federal Government has responded to the governor’s spoiling for war. We call for a truce in the interest of the Rivers people. Whatever is due the state should not be denied it, despite the friction.

Still, Governor Wike should slow down. He is known to have picked on perceived enemies at will. When he is not fighting turf wars with his predecessor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, he is taking on former Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State. At some point, his grouse was against his party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

At some other point, he called out Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Samuel Ortom of Benue states, employing un-gubernatorial language, to say the least.

His friends should caution him against spending much of the time for governance, fishing for enemies.