RIVERS State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has advised the immediate past governor of the state and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, to accept the reality that the All Progressives Congress lost the rerun elections.
Wike, who gave this advice on Thursday while declaring open a retreat to strengthen capacity, efficiency and service delivery for sustainable development for top state government officials in Eleme LGA, said Amaechi should allow his government to focus on the rebuilding of the state.
The governor explained that the responsibility of reviving the state was enormous, especially after the immediate past administration failed to use the N3tn that accrued to the state under its watch.
Wike pointed out that the administration had deployed resources and expertise to correct the failures of the Amaechi administration.
“I call on the former governor and leader of the APC in the state to accept the reality that the rerun elections has woefully been lost by his party and that Rivers people have again overwhelmingly reaffirmed their confidence, trust and preference for the PDP.
“Therefore, spare us the agony of unnecessary hostility and allow Rivers State to move forward in peace and security. We expect you to use your high office and connections to attract meaningful development projects to the state as I did during my time; not senseless and unpatriotic distractions. Enough is enough.
“All of us are aware of the sorry state of things in Rivers State before May 29, 2015. Between October 25, 2007 and May 28, 2015, over N3tn accrued from all revenue sources to the state.
“Yet, they did nothing tangible with that money to develop the state. Instead, they squandered and diverted most of this money into private pockets through bogus and ill-fated projects,” Wike stressed.
The governor noted that all key projects initiated by the Amaechi administration were either abandoned or not executed at all.
“Let’s briefly look at the records since they live in denial. The visible projects initiated by former Governor Amaechi during his eight years in office are the Karibi Whyte mega Hospital project and the Greater Port Harcourt Project.
“Others are the new Rivers State University project; the RSSDA overseas scholarship scheme; the mosquitos eradication scheme, the Adokiye Amiesemaka Stadium project, the 500 primary schools project, the 23 mega secondary schools project, the ill-fated less than 1.5kms monorail project, and the dualisation of some inner city roads.
“However, none of these projects was realized before they left office despite spending billions and billions of naira on them. For example, the Karibi Whyte Hospital was not just abandoned at the foundation stage, it turned out to be a big scam on Rivers people.
“The Greater Port Harcourt project existed mainly on paper without any tangible progress. The Adokye Amiesimaka stadium was abandoned half completed, while not even a stone was laid for the proposed new Rivers State University,” Wike said.
In his opening remarks, Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Chief Kenneth Kobani, stated that the retreat was organised to equip top government officials with the knowledge to assist the governor to achieve his development goals.
Reacting, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, said Wike should stop allowing himself to be traumatised by Amaechi’s name, adding that rather than focus on the development of the state, the governor had been talking about the minister.
Finebone urged Wike to show gratitude to the Supreme Court that gifted him and his allies the governance of the state by ensuring that lives were secure in the state and also providing the dividends of democracy to the people.
He said, “The Supreme Court has placed the governance of the state on their laps and they appear to be overwhelmed by this. They should be grateful to the Supreme Court that gifted him and his friends the governance of the state by securing the lives of the people.
“Instead of been traumatised by the name, Amaechi; Wike should rise up and give good governance to the people. Amaechi has led the state and has moved on. If anybody is making them to lose focus, it is not Amaechi. So, they should look inward to find out.”
