FACT CHECK: Was Wike’s Father a General Manager of Many Companies as Claimed by the Minister?
FACT CHECK: Was Wike’s Father a General Manager of Many Companies as Claimed by the Minister?
During a recent interview on Politics Today aired on Channels Television, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, made a bold claim about his father’s professional background. From Right: Father of Governor Wike, Rev. Nlemanya Wike, Wife of Rivers State Governor, Justice Suzzette Nyesom Wike, and mother of the Governor, Mrs Nlemanya Wike, during the ordination of the mother of the Governor as deaconess in Port Harcourt Wike stated that his father, J.N.E. Wike, was a General Manager of many companies, a remark that has since stirred curiosity and skepticism, prompting a fact-check into the veracity of the claim.
The Claim In the course of the televised interview, Minister Wike stated that his father held high-ranking positions as General Manager in multiple corporate establishments. However, when pressed by the interviewer to name at least one of those companies, Wike failed to provide any specific examples or documentation. The Facts
Investigations by News Week Nigeria reveal a different picture. Contrary to Wike’s claims, his father is widely known as Reverend Nlemanya Wike, founder and General Overseer of the Christian Universal Church International in Rivers State.
No credible public records or media reports suggest he held a General Manager position in any known private or public corporate entity. A review of archival news reports — including publications from TheCable, Tribune Newspaper, and The Nation — further support this. One such report from November 29, 2020, confirmed that the church founded by Reverend Nlemanya Wike was attacked by suspected hoodlums. Advertisements However, none of the reports mentioned any business affiliations or managerial roles linked to the elder Wike. Attempts for Clarification
Efforts by our heritage reporter Nigeria to reach the Minister or his media team for clarification or supporting evidence were unsuccessful at the time of publishing. Conclusion Available records indicate that Reverend Nlemanya Wike served as the General Overseer of a modest Christian ministry based in Port Harcourt. There is no verifiable evidence that he ever worked as a General Manager in any company, let alone “many companies” as claimed by the Minister.
