Babatunji Wusu –
- Chijioke Ihunwo orders the renaming of the administrative block in the Obio/Akpor council from Nyesom Wike to “Obi Wali House.”
- The decision follows a recent election and the arson of nearby local government secretariats.
- Ihunwo emphasizes the need for police neutrality and vows to protect the local government area.
- Nyesom Wike has had a significant political career, serving as governor and now as FCT minister.
- The renaming honors the late Obi Wali, a prominent political figure from the area, who was assassinated in 1993.
Chijioke Ihunwo, the newly inaugurated chairperson of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, has ordered the removal of the name of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike from a building within the council’s secretariat. The administrative block, previously named after Wike, will now be designated as “Obi Wali House.”
Ihunwo issued this directive during his visit to the council secretariat on Monday, shortly after suspected hoodlums set fire to the Ikwerre and Emohua local government secretariats. This action represents one of his first official decisions following his election in a local poll held on Saturday.
The police had previously restricted officers from providing security during the elections due to a court order, which heightened tensions. However, after the elections concluded, the police lifted the seal on all council secretariats in the state. The hoodlums attacked the two local government secretariats following the police’s departure, resulting in significant damage without any security presence.
In a video posted on his social media, Ihunwo stated, “I want to advise the Rivers State Police Command to remain neutral. For this local government, we will protect and die. They have burnt Ikwerre and Emohua council secretariats. We are ready for them.” He pointed to the inscription “Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike ADMIN BLOCK” and declared, “He does not allow the people to rest. On that note, as the chairperson of the council, I have renamed it Obi Wali House,” which elicited cheers from those present. He announced that the name change would take effect the following morning and challenged anyone to contest his decision.
Wike, who served as chairperson of Obio/Akpor for two terms ending in 2007, later became chief of staff to then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi and was appointed minister of state for Education under former President Goodluck Jonathan. Wike, who was re-elected governor in 2019 and served until 2023, was appointed minister of the FCT by President Bola Tinubu.
Ihunwo’s actions come amid ongoing tensions between Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, over the control of the political landscape in Rivers State. The late Obi Wali, after whom the building is now named, hailed from Obio/Akpor and was elected senator to represent the Port Harcourt District before his tragic murder in April 1993. In 2014, the Rivers State Government honored his contributions by commissioning the Obi Wali Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.
