Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the state’s chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday disagreed on the alleged six-month bailout for Ekiti State’s workers.
Rivers APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Chief Chris Finebone, condemned Wike’s decision to pay six months salary arrears of Ekiti workers with Rivers money before the governorship election, when Rivers government workers and pensioners were being owed for many months, which it said must be protested.
Wike, through Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, in his reaction, described the APC’s statement as “false and a huge lie from familiar lips.”
Rivers APC pointed out that what started as a rumour, had now been confirmed, simply because Wike wanted to impress Governor Ayodele Fayose of the same Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other leaders of the main opposition party, while scheming to be vice president in 2019.
It said: “The curious bailout Wike is about offering his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayo Fayose, will be coming against the backdrop of imminent reduction of the number of civil servants of Rivers State, which Wike has ordered. It comes against a decaying secretariat complex (in Port Harcourt), where Rivers State civil servants endure untold inconveniences every working day.
“Indeed, it comes against the suffering of pensioners owed many months of gratuity and pension. Paradoxically, even political appointees of Wike are enduring untold hardship, suffering and smiling, except for the select cabal, popularly referred to as Cardinals.”
Rivers APC also noted that after the defeat of PDP in the 2015 presidential election, Wike effectively took over control of the party nationally and had since been spending billions of naira belonging to Rivers taxpayers to sustain the PDP.
It said: “Sadly, Wike spent billions of naira to hold an ill-fated national convention of the party in Port Harcourt in May, 2016. Afterwards, Wike single-handedly sustained the PDP with billions of naira belonging to Rivers people throughout the period the party was under the leadership of Alhaji Ahmed Markarfi-led caretaker committee. Wike, it was, who used the resources of Rivers State to fund the protracted legal tussle between the caretaker committee and its factional group, led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
“Following the victory of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee at the Supreme Court, Wike, again, bankrolled the national convention of the party that followed in 2017 with Rivers State commonwealth. This culminated in Wike decimating and silencing the Southwest zone and other leaders in PDP, to successfully capture the national structure of PDP by installing his acolyte and stooge, Prince Uche Secondus (from Andoni LGA of Rivers State), as the party’s national chairman.
“Quite sadly, the decision of Wike to pay outstanding six months salaries owed to Ekiti State civil servants is coming as part of Wike’s inordinate desire to maintain his position as the leading financier and national leader of PDP. Whereas, other PDP governors are busy developing their states and bettering the standard of living of their people, Wike remains consumed by the obscene and inordinate craving to continue as the little god of PDP.
“While no one begrudges him the pursuit of his vane glory, the bitter truth is that Wike is fritting away resources that should be channelled at bettering the lot of the ordinary Rivers people.”
The main opposition APC in Rivers also stated that it found it hard to believe that Rivers governor that came into office and immediately discontinued and returned Rivers youths on overseas scholarship, on account of lack of funds, found it convenient to play Father Christmas for purely political reasons.
It said: “We ask: why is it that other PDP governors of equally oil-rich Akwa Ibom and Delta States are not throwing the commonwealth of their people at sustaining and controlling the PDP?
“Wike, in his bid to take advantage of the killings in Benue State some months ago, doled out N500 million to Benue State, with the sole aim of luring Governor Samuel Ortom (of APC) to join the PDP. The Benue State governor collected the money and boldly rebuffed Wike’s entreaties. In that drama, the poor Rivers taxpayers were the losers, while Wike continues in his satanic extravaganza with our money.
“The APC calls on Rivers people to protest the decision of Wike to, once again, embark on this senseless and atrocious decision to spend billions of naira belonging to Rivers people to pay six months outstanding salaries of Ekiti State civil servants, while the workers and people of Rivers State are suffering poverty, indignities and penury.”
The main opposition party also admonished Rivers electorate to prepare to replace Wike next year, in order to ensure good governance and commensurate development in the Niger Delta state.
