The President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cleared the air on his response of “I owe you nothing” to Governor Nyesom Wike on Wednesday.
Recall Tinubu jovially made the remark in response to Wike’s demand for refunds of money spent on federal government projects in the state.
The president-elect had visited the south-south state to honour Wike’s invitation to inaugurate some infrastructures in the state.
On Thursday, while commissioning the new 24 courtrooms in Rivers State Magistrate Court built by the Wike administration in Port Harcourt, Tinubu described Wike as a fighter against corruption in his provision of meaningful welfare and conducive work environment for public servants, particularly in the state’s judiciary.
He revealed that the Rivers governor was by his commitment to good working conditions for judiciary workers preempting reforms he would carry out in that arm of government when he assumes office.
Tinubu at the sight of the Magistrate Court project and listening to testimonies of Wike’s improved welfare packages for judges said, “To look at a different angle to what Wike has done here today, he is fighting corruption. This is the way to fight corruption. You don’t expect your judges to operate, dispense justice in squalor.
“This is part of the changes necessary in our policy think tank. We must fight corruption, looking at the other side of the coin. If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt, pay attention to their welfare. If you want fair dispensation of justice, then don’t let them work in hazardous conditions.
“Let’s think value for value. If I don’t have consumer credit and you want me to pay for the car I needed, at say N5M, N6M, that’s very big temptation for corruption. But if you have consumer credit, that will reduce the propensity for corruption.”
Tibunu who said he has also done so much in creating reforms for satisfactory conditions for judiciary workers, emphasised that, “We don’t want our judges, justices, to play foul, compromise justice. Not just the books, but do something. I promise we are going to review all of these in our policy think tank.”
On the conflicting feedback from his “I don’t owe you anything” response, the day before, to Wike’s request for federal refund of moneys spent by Rivers State Government on upgrade of federal roads, the President-Elect said Wike was in order against any shade of interpretation the public gives to it.
“Whatever you say about owing or no owing, I’m very grateful to the man (Wike) who brought me here. He didn’t ask for personal commitment. He asked for a policy commitment that an incoming President has no authority to offer and approve.
“There can only be one President at a time. I cannot commit to expenditure on behalf of the outgoing President when my tenure has not started. Get educated, be informed, please”, the President-elect told Nigerians as he concluded his two-day visit to his new political friend in Wike.
