Rivers State Governor,Barr.Nyesom Wike, yesterday said the government of Rivers State funded the recent military and DSS joint operation which led to the elimination of notorious killer, Johnson Igwedibia, a.k.a. Don Waney, whose reign of terror left several persons killed in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area.
Wike, in a media programme in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was reacting to the widespread notion that the security offensive which killed Don Waney was ordered by President Mohammadu Buhari, without knowledge of the Rivers governor.
“The State Government funded the operation that led to the death of Don Waney. The President may have encouraged it, but the operation was funded by the Rivers State Government.
“Don Waney accepted Amnesty, but refused to abide by the tenets of the amnesty. It was at this point that the Security Council resolved to track him down.
“If we do not work in synch with security agencies, how would we have gotten Don Wanny. Whether we like it or not, it is incumbent on us to play our own part on security”, Wike stated.
In self appraisal on his stewardship, the governor noted that electoral prospects of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers have been enhanced by his outstanding performance.
He said: “If elections are held 100 times in Rivers State, the PDP will win. The chances of the PDP are even brighter in Rivers State as a result of my performance.
“I have projects located in all local government areas of the state. I have reasons in each local government area why the people should vote for me.”
He also assured that council polls would hold this year as the State Electoral Commission has proposed budget for same, adding that PDP will hold transparent primaries that will lead to the emergence of popular candidates which will form premise for victory in 2019.