#EndSARS: Wike Says Governors Playing To The Gallery; Slams Adesina |The Source

By Adesina Soyooye

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused some of his Governor-colleagues of playing to the gallery in the #EndSARS protest by Nigerian Youths.

He has, also, slammed the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to the President, Femi Adesina, for, allegedly, playing politics with the letter of appreciation he, Wike, wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari had, as he did for a couple of other states, approved a refund of N79bn which Rivers State spent on Federal Roads.

In appreciation, Wike had written a letter which he, also, advertised in Newspapers, for the President’s gesture. Among other praises he heaped on Buhari, Wike said Buhari proved to be a “father for all” by the gesture.

Coming from Wike, an unrepentant critic of the President, to Adesina and many others, it was odd. So Adesina did a satirical article on it, which was like, even Wike now appreciates the President as a father to all.

But speaking on an AIT interview programme on Friday, Wike slammed Adesina, insisting, that he did the right thing by appreciating the President because, every good one does deserves appreciation just as every bad deserves condemnation.

Thousands of the youths are protesting nationwide against the killings, brutalities and extortions of Nigerians, especially youths by the personnel of the, now, defunct Special Anti-Armed Robbery Squad, SARS.

For 10 days and counting, they have grounded state capitals, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

A number of Governors had not only supported the protest, but joined in the strong condemnation of SARS.

However, Wike, addressing the Youths in Porthacourt  said  he was unimpressed by the Governors, and would never join them in protest.

He accused them of playing to the gallery,  and trying to curry popularity.

“I am not like that”, Wike said, insisting that when he was talking about the atrocities of SARS against Rivers people, the killing of people, including a lecturer, nobody listened to him because, according to him, it is Rivers State, “so, why would anybody ask me to come now and join a protest against SARS? I will not.”