The name of former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has been removed from the administrative block of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council.
Wike, a former chairman of the council, has had the building renamed in honor of the late Senator Dr. Obi Wali, a prominent Ikwerre leader, politician, and renowned advocate for minority rights.
This change was initiated by the new Chairman of the Council, Chijioke Ihunwo, following his assumption of office on October 7 amidst a series of crises at several council secretariats in Rivers State.
The two-storey, 30-room ultra-modern administrative building, constructed under the previous administration led by Barrister George Ariolu, had originally been named after Wike, who served as the council’s chairman for two terms starting in 1999.
Ihunwo, who previously served as Caretaker Committee Chairman for three months before being elected on the platform of the Action People’s Party, stated that the late Senator Obi Wali, credited with the political emancipation of the Ikwerre people, was more deserving of the honor.
Born in 1932, Senator Obi Wali was a significant political figure who championed the rights of the Ikwerre ethnic group in Rivers State. His legacy as a senator and cultural advocate earned him widespread respect.
The Obio/Akpor council’s administrative block now bears his name as a tribute to his lifelong contributions. Additionally, his name already graces the popular Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, a well-known government-run event venue along G.U. Ake Road.