A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, attributed the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, as the initiator of the call for his sack by Rivers people.
Eze, who is one of the most vocal minders of the APC in the South-South region of the country, explained that the abysmal failure that the Wike administration had subjected Rivers state to is the reason why most Rivers people activated the ‘Wike-must-go-project’, adding that Rivers has lost out on development since Wike forced his way into office.
According to Eze, the movement by patriotic Rivers sons and daughters to salvage the state from the stranglehold of decaying infrastructure, reign of gangsters and mindless stealing of public funds is a rescue mission by Rivers people, adding that it has nothing to do with the former governor of the state, who is the incumbent Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Eze expressed shock at the different interpretations being peddled around by some disgruntled elements, whose aim, according to him, is to discredit the essence of the project and attempt to discredit the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuik, for rendering support to the actualisation of the project.
According to him, “Governor Nyesom Wike is the arrowhead behind the agitation to remove Wike from the Brick House, a project he initiated immediately he assumed office on May 29, 2015, by scaring away investors from the State, promotion of insecurity through appointments and elections of insecurity induced elements, destruction of all the feats gained during the administration of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi including ruining the education, health, agricultural sectors, refusal to pay civil servants and Pensioners their salaries and pension for several months.
“Refusal to run the government of Rivers state in line with budgetary provisions, stoppage of the free overseas scholarship scheme Rotimi Amaechi established where over 300 students had opportunity of schooling abroad, refusal to create job opportunities, employ anyone or upgrade the levels of civil servants in the state.
“Sadly, under the watch of Governor Wike, Rivers state has retrogressed badly that it has lost its glory of the Garden City to ‘Gabbage City’, thereby making the streets of Port Harcourt and most of Rivers state to be smelling and all the drainages blocked with stashes trashe.
“Liquidation of the Songhai Farm, the Buguma fish farm while turning the state secretariat to a centre of garbage on life support.
“The above self-inflicted political disaster by Governor Nyesom Wike, not withstanding the issue of upland /riverine dichotomy where the upland through Dr Peter Odili (8yrs), Dr Amaechi (8yrs) and Chief Wike, have governed the state for a long stretch 20 years to the determinant of the riverine area of the state is an injustice APC is set to correct this time around no matter the odds.
“The last, but not the least, is the fact that Rivers state is not used to playing the opposition politics to the government at the centre. We are tired under Wike where he denied the federal government of the necessary support in implementing her vision to develop the state. For these reasons, the need of Wike stepping aside need not be overemphasised”, he said.
He, however, pleaded with those allegedly buying the propaganda narrative by Governor Wike and his Media handlers to understand the facts before condemning Amaechi or any leader of the APC in the project, saying “I therefore implore Wike, my good friend, to see reasons and assist to ease his ouster without raising unnecessary tension in the state for the benefit of the state”.
