The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo said secessionist agitators like the ex-militant leader, Asari Dokubo should be ignored by the media.
Dr. Danagogo disclosed this while speaking during an interactive session with a section of Journalists in his office on Wednesday.
He said Asari Dokubo and Egberipapa are miscreants and self-seeking militants who are seeking relevance.
He said: “Alhaji Asari, Sobomabo Jackrich aka Egberipapa and their likes do not have the capacity to speak about where Rivers State belongs, they are merely seeking attention.
“The media should be able to tell them they are wrong, just as we expect that if someone commits a crime the law enforcement agencies should be able to arrest and prosecute such a person.
“These parochial, selfish, and attention-seeking declarations are not serious talks that Government of Rivers State should lose sleep about.”
“Kalabari people have traditional rulers, very prominent elites, business tycoons, academicians, etc who can properly speak for us. Certainly, militants can’t be the representatives of our ethnic nationality.
“The Governor has stated repeatedly that Rivers State is not part of any secessionist agenda and the Kalabari people firmly stand by the Governor.
Danagogo added that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is building a 21st Century World Class City and a state that can compete with any other in the world.
He said Wike is a strategic visionary who is looking at Rivers State and the State capital Port Harcourt from a very broad and far-reaching perspective.
“The Governor is not just looking at Rivers State and Port Harcourt of today but where Rivers State should be in the next ten years and beyond. His desire is to make Rivers State and Port Harcourt a befitting oil and gas capital of Nigeria like Texas and Houston is to the United States.
“International Oil and Gas Conferences which should hold in Port Harcourt is always held in Abuja, and they claim that there’s too much traffic congestion and security challenges in Port Harcourt.
“The Governor is here to create a State that can truly be the oil and gas capital of Nigeria.
“I have no doubt that when the flyovers and interchanges are completed and most of the interconnections between the capital city and our inter cities are completed, people will appreciate him for what he is doing.”
“My joy is that right-thinking people are grateful for what the Governor is doing,” he said.

By Okafor Ofiebor