Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said that he owes his rising political career to former Justice of Supreme Court (JSC), Justice Mary Odili, saying that her timely intervention saved him from being displaced in his 2004 second term bid as Chairman of Obio – Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Wike spoke on Sunday during a thanksgiving service to mark Justice Odili’s 70th birthday and retirement as JSC
at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa, (CIWA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Wike also narrated how he cried to Justice Odili (who was then the wife of former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili), when his name was not listed among aspirants cleared to contest local government chairmanship at the time.
He added that the manner in which Justice Odili presented the matter got her husband, Governor Peter Odili (as he then was), to act on it immediately.
He said Dr Peter Odili first invited the then Chairman of Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to confirm the observation and thereafter put a call across to the then National Secretary of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.
Wike then said, “That time in 2004, the husband was the governor, so she was going to Bori Camp for women empowerment scheme. I was to run for second tenure as chairman of my local government (Obio-Akpor).
“Now, they were having lunch with her husband and the former State party chairman then, Prince Uche Secondus. And, I was told that my name had been removed in the list. So, I ran down to Government House.
“She had finished her own lunch, left her husband and was entering the vehicle. I said mummy, I’m finished. She asked what happened, I said they’ve removed my name.
“She ran back straight to her husband and informed him. Her husband asked who removed my name. At that time, Secondus had left. The husband then called the security at the gate, they stopped Secondus and ask him to come back.
“That was how I went back as second term chairman. For me, I can’t talk about my growth without mentioning her. If she was not around that day, to see the governor, you know is not an easy thing.
“Her being around that particular day saved my career in politics. And so that was how I grew from there to become what I am today.”
On the retirement of Justice Odili after 44 years of public service, Wike stated that a vital lesson of life he has learnt from Justice Odili is the determination to build capacity to be successful in one’s career while not ignoring giving requisite attention to the family.
Wike said, “I have never seen somebody so compassionate, very caring. The moment you’re around her husband, she takes care of you. She sees you as her husband’s person and will always relate with you. Some of us are direct beneficiaries of her care through our relationship with the husband.”
Responding, Justice Odili expressed joy in the privilege to have Wike as a sitting governor, doing a vote of thanks in her honour.
She said, “The good Lord knows that Peter and I don’t know how to properly thank God. Our journey in life has been such that the good Lord has always been there. There has been challenges no doubt, but the good Lord did not promise us that we will not have challenges, tribulations or difficulties. But the Lord has always stood by us and made us prevail in all those trials and tribulations.”
