The public utterances being made by two former Governors of Rivers State Dr. Peter Odili and Nyesom Ezenwo Wike both of Peoples Democratic Party -PDP are currently polarising further the political families in the oil rich Rivers State.
The traditional 25th December 2024 Christmas Carol at State Banquet organized by Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara held at Government House Port Harcourt, is now causing much aftermath as statements made at that occasion and that of Christmas Carol organized by Dr. Peter Odili have set the political atmosphere in Rivers State in more disquiet and with much rumbles. …CONTINUE READING
First, it was Dr. Odili in his speech who said that the present Governor has been able to stop one man who wanted to convert Rivers State to his personal estate. This statement irked the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike so much that he reacted on Sunday 29th of December, 2024 at a Thanksgiving Church event organized by Speaker Rt. Honourable Martins Chike Amaewhule. It was held at Church of Nigeria( Anglican Communion) Oro- Igwe Eliogbolo Archdeaconry Church of Holy Spirit, Eliozu Parish,Port Harcourt Rivers State.
The church service it was an opportunity vintage Nyesom Wike had been waiting for to unleash vitriolic statement in response to former Gov. Dr. Odili’s casting of innuendoes against a person percieved to be the current FCT Minister. Wike thundered in his baritone voice saying alligorically “Must you be a trader all the time? As governor for eight years what else are you looking for? You know, I don’t want to say anything. But somebody called me last night, and told me what someone said in the social media until I read it myself. This morning, I read it in the newspapers what our former governor Dr. Peter Odili said.
“What did he say? He said the present governor has been able to stop one man who wanted to convert Rivers state to his personal estate. Between him and myself, who has turned Ricers State to his personal estate? His wife is a Chairman of Governing Council, his daughter is a Commissioner. His other daughter is a Judge and he is the General Overseer.Who has now turned Rivers state to his private estate? I am sure if care is not taken, if there is a chance, he can even arrange a marriage for the Governor.
“ It was his nephew, his late senior brother’s son that was recommended for Commissioner. He took the slot and gave it to his daughter. Someone who didn’t remember to stand for the son of his late elder brother, is that an elder statesman?”
Angry Wike went down memory lane to reminiscence and regale his audience with his record of service as Rivers State Governor, “ All of you here remember when i was governor this same Odili praised me to High Heaven. In fact, he said then that all past governors in River State combined did not do better than me.
“ In 2007, after he left office couldn’t come near power in the state because Amaechi was the Governor then. He was gone. Like somebody said that God will use someone to lift up someone.When I came in as Governor in 2015, I wont use the word resurrected, but I brought him back to life.
“ All of us know about Pamo University. But for us there wouldn’t have been anything called Pamo University. Rivers state was sponsoring 100 students per each session and per every Semester each of the students was paying not less than N5m. Then, Rivers people were attacking me up and down
“ I personnally called Julius Berger to build a Mansion for him live. He was calling everyone to the house then,telling them, ‘ come and see what Wike has done for me. Wike has shown me love.’ He was taking them around the house.
“ Now, because you have organized a Christmas Carol for the Governor, I didn’t say you should not do your Christmas Carol. But why reduce yourself to such a laughing stock. People will still see it on television, how he was telling the whole world then how God used me to bring him back to life politically.
“ Why not do your Christmas Carol, collect what you can collect and leave me alone. The Governor that all of us made has not spent one year in office and same Odili was already saying that the governor has beaten the records of all the past governors of Rivers state.
“When I was there, he said i had surpassed the records of all the past governors including himself. What can he even show that he did in his eight years as Governor? But a governor has not spent one year, you are saying he has done more than all the past governors
“ You spent eight years as governor and someone who hasn’t spent one has surpassed your record. What manner of elder talks like that? Is that what an elder statesman should be known for?
“ When I was a governor, my pictures were everywhere in his house, sittingrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, even in the toilet, my picture was everywhere. But today, all the pictures have been removed.”
For FCT Minister Wike, whi queried his audience at the Church Thanksgiving Service, what can be learnt from such display of sycophancy of an elder statesman…Wike replied “ What can I learn from this kind of elder? What kibd of advice can one get from him? This moment you are saying something, the next moment you are saying something else.“ You see, if your children begin to ask you, is this not the same man you were praising before? What would you tell them?”
“ When I was plotting who will be governor after me, was he( Odili) there? Then, he was complaining about this governor saying that he couldn’t stand before the public to talk. But today, he is organising Christmas Carol for the same governor he was against then. Has he forgotten all that he said in the past? I named this after you, I named that after your wife. What have I not done?
“ You said we should not be part of the government we have left. We are managing, you have taken Assembly money, they are not dying of hunger and they will not die of hunger. We are okay. I’ m focusing on my job at Abuja and all these sycophancy wont take him to the level I have attained. “ This is a man who wanted to run for President. Then, he didn’t have the balls, he chickened out; simply because Obasajo said no. l will not contest. He ran away. Because of him, i never invited Obasanjo to Rivers state to commission projects. I felt it will humiliate him.”
The response from Governor Sininalayi Fubara on Wednesday 1st of January,2025 during the evening State Banquet organized for prominent Rivers elder staresmen and women actually ignited more fire in the battle to 2027 General elections which all these political rigmaroles and summersaults are as a result of. He told them that “ this year, we will ensure we protect the integrity of this state at all cost. We wont allow anybody take this state for a ride. It doesn’t matter the approach I will use. It’s not going to be a fight. We will follow the issues as we did when they started begging. Nothing will stop us from achieving the purpose of governance in this state. “We are not bothered about what they(opposition) will come with, God will always have a way to save us from them.
They are going to come but we are not worried.We are equal to the task. I honestly thank our leaders from Dr. Peter Odili, Sir Celestine Omehia, Senator John Azuta Mbata, Sir Austin Opara, Prince Uche Secondus, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, to others for the huge support you are giving to our government.
“A lot of persons will not understand what is really happening. This is not to say we did not have people that were with us and following us and figting. But in time of troubles they( deteractors) where they are today is that they do not have any (strong)face in Rivers politics with them. “ The beginning of politics in this state is Sir Dr. Peter Odili. And he is sitting with us ( here). And with these other persons, who do they have with them?
“ Dr. Odili is the right face and right image of our state. These are the frontiers of Rivers State politics. Men and women that have distinguished themselves are sitting with us( here). People who have contributed in several ways to make Rivers State what it is, not rented people they bring to dinner.”
For Rivers state Gov. Fubara’s achievement in improving the Internally Generated Revenue IGR from mere N12B monthly to N27B monthly with annual IGR hittbg N300B in 2024 is heroic which made former Gov. Peter Odili to describe Governor Siminalayi Fubara as a financial wizard in not borrowing to finance budgets. This is more than N100B than that of 2023 IGR. Again Trans Kalabari road project with humongous cost of more than N250B is currently ongoing. And the ambitous Greater Port Harcourt ring road with N200B currently ongoing is another wonder many Governors never embarked upon. His welfare packages for Civil Servants and Retirees especially Pensioners have also distinguished him from past governors of Rivers state all achieved in his first year in office.
Gov Fubara’ s N1B revolving Micro Finance Cum Bank of Industry loan for Small/Medium scale enterprises had raised the bar for Sir Siminalayi Fubara’s administration.
While the political war of words rages on, projecta upon projects are veing flagged off and others being commissioned upon completion.
–Emeka Amaefula, Citypeople
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