*Queries the Release of N5b for Mobilisation of Obas and Emirs for Further Endorsements
Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) in a press statement circulated on Thursday in Port Harcourt by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Media Consultant to Dr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya the State Chairman of Rivers APC to Media Organisations, opinion leaders and the public blasted Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike of Rivers State for spending a whopping sum of one billion Naira (N1b) of Rivers State money to hire two different groups (non indigenes and women groups) last weekend to endorse him for his unmerited second term bid.
The opposition party in Rivers State said that Gov. Wike spent five hundred million Naira (N500M) to hire non indigenes who are not resident in Rivers State from Abia, Imo and Akwa Ibom States to march to the Rivers State Government House in order to endorse him for an unmerited second term in office while he has refused to pay the six months salaries owed to the Rivers State Civil servants and arrears of pension owed to our Pensioners.
The APC in the same vein queries the rationale behind the Governor wasting another whopping sum of five hundred million Naira to hire women from Bayelsa and Delta States, and presented them as Rivers State women to endorse him to continue to exhibit his mediocrity in governance.
The party supporting the above stand quoted the press statement issued by the Hausa community in Rivers State through their leader, Alh. Saidu Musa. The community in the press statement scolded Governor Wike for claiming that the Hausa communities was among the hired non indigenes from outside the State that endorsed him. According to the Hausa Community resident in Rivers State in their press statement titled, “2019… Hausa community disassociates itself from Wike’s endorsement” stated, “that the Hausa community in Rivers State has political and administrative structures headed by both traditional institutions and other leaders of thought and that none of the bodies were consulted to mobilise their community to endorse Wike. The statement further explained, “So we have not endorsed Governor Wike for 2019. If there is any need for that the entire leadership of Hausa community will meet and take decision accordingly. We therefore called on the public to disregard such endorsement saying that Hausa community in Rivers State is yet to take decision on who to support in 2019”
In agreement with the Hausa community, the Igbos, the Akwa Ibomites and Cross Riverians, the Igalas, the Tivs, the Ibibios, the Yoruba’s and other ethnic nationalities residing in Rivers State have jointly and separately denounced Wike for linking them with his desperate attempt to fool the outside world that his misrule and draconian policies of promoting insecurity in Rivers State is popular and acceptable to the people of Rivers State.
The party recalled that Wike on assumption of office deluded the non indigenes in Rivers State and stopped the Scholarship Scheme initiated by Amaechi for the well-being and greatness of Rivers State because of the non indigenes and wonder how Wike now sought the endorsement of non indigenes for his second term bid after he told the world that he stopped the scholarship scheme because it contains the names of some non indigenes. Wike in demonstration of his deep hatred for the non indigenes in Rivers State terminated the appointment of 13,200 Teachers employed during the Amaechi’s administration stating that it some non indigenes were employed during the exercise. This may have occasioned the mass rejection of his second term bid by the indigenes and non indigenes in Rivers State.
The party describes as most unfortunate the claim by Wike that he spent one billion Naira in hiring less than two thousand non indigenes and few hundreds of Women for this unfortunate excerise. This to APC is another tool for Wike to divert and embezzle public funds with impunity.
The party noted with sadness not minding the above that Wike is not relenting in this inglorious act as a whopping sum of five Billion Naira (N5B) have been earmarked to woo some PDP Governors, notable Emirs and Obas to visit Rivers State from February to endorse Wike for his elusive second term bid and we wish to appeal to some of these people already contacted for this evil act that their actions are not for the good of Rivers State and her people as Wike has only succeeded to ruin our economy and plunge Rivers State into ceaseless insecurity and laughing stock among other States of our country and doesn’t merit any other four years as the Governor of Rivers State.
The party sympathised with Wike over his rejection and desperation and explained that Wike may have resorted to hiring non Rivers State people from outside the State after his rejection by the Rivers State people and total acceptance of APC instead as demonstrated during the recent reception in honour of the Lion of Niger Delta Politics, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi the erstwhile Governor of Rivers State and the incumbent Minister of Transportation by the Ikwerre Youths Movement Worldwide (IYM) when millions of Rivers State people trooped to accord honour to their illustrious son.
The party reassured Wike that no matter the amount of Rivers State money that he intends to waste for his elusive second term tenure project that he will not succeed for the following reasons:
1. For aborting the Scholarship Scheme and free education initiated by Amaechi
2. For aborting the free medicals for infants and the aged initiated and executed by Amaechi
3. For turning Ambassador Ine Korubo Model Secondary School described by many as an University to forest
4. For aborting the Greater Port Harcourt City project aimed to decongest Port Harcourt and positioned Rivers State as one of best States in Nigeria
5. For running Rivers State for the past two years plus as a chiefdom without budgetary provisions
6. For turning Rivers State to Rivers of dustbin and blood where security of lives and properties no longer make any meaning.
7. For aborting the Monthly Town Hall meetings where communities make inputs in Governance initiated by the administration of Amaechi
8. For destroying the Agricultural sector of Rivers State through ruining the Songhai farm, the Buguma fish farm etc
9. For killing Local Government system in Rivers State
10. For ensuring that developmental deliberations in the Rivers State House of Assembly no longer exist.
11. For stopping and destroying the future of our youths on scholarship in foreign countries and refusal to pay the Civil servants their salaries when due and numerous other sins Wike has committed against Rivers State and her people.
