The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has called on Nigerians to salvage the allegedly sinking nation.
He claimed that Nigeria was sinking irreversibly down the abyss, stressing that only a united front would salvage the country and set it on the path of growth.
Wike, a former Minister of State for Education, regretted that either by commission or omission, the federal government had allegedly dragged Nigeria into its worst economic crisis, where some Nigerians had been finding it difficult to feed.
The Rivers governor, yesterday in his special independence address during the 56th Independence Day celebration at the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt, the state capital, claimed that ordinary Nigerians were dying daily from ailments that were ordinarily curable.
He said: “Just look at the situation of our country at this material time. Never in history has the seeds of disunity, distrust, hatred; intolerance, violence and terrorism proliferated in our country than now, not even in the years of the civil war.
“By acts of omission or commission, the Federal Government has pushed the nation into its worst economic nightmare. With inflation on the loose, poverty is increasing as ordinary Nigerians are finding it difficult to have one decent meal in a day. Families are losing loved ones to curable ailments, simply because they can no longer afford necessary medications to sustain their health and vitality.
“Worse still, just as our collective security is being threatened by the activities of motley terrorist groups, such as the Boko Haram insurgents and Fulani herdsmen, most Nigerians are increasingly becoming disillusioned with the country’s failing national institutions, for their inability to mirror the nation’s character and values.”
Wike also stated that the Rivers government, through policies and programmes, had empowered the people and improved their living conditions.