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Tag: Wike

  • Wike sacks 344 lecturers, others

    Wike sacks 344 lecturers, others

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike ordered yesterday the sack of 344 lecturers and others employed for the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori-Ogoni, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area.

    The teachers were employed by the Rotimi Amaechi administration last September.

    The governor also disbanded the Rivers State Road Traffic Management Authority (TIMA-RIV).  His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, confirmed TIMA-RIV’s disbandment. TIMA-RIV was put in place by Amaechi, shortly after he became governor on October 26, 2007.

    Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the polytechnic , Innocent Ogbonna, confirmed the sack of the lecturers.

    Ogbonna also disclosed that the Rector of the Institution, Obianko Elechi, began his terminal leave two weeks ago on the instruction of the state government.

    Ogbonna said: “The recent employment exercise we had at the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori has been cancelled. The process used in employing them was such that the government needs to review. As we speak now that process has already been terminated by the incumbent government.

    “As it stands now, they don’t have any job with the Polytechnic now; that is the truth, moreso when they are yet to start work before the process was dissolved.”

    On the sack of 344 lecturers and other workers of the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori, Wike’s media adviser said: “Their employment did not follow due process, done in a hurry and fraught with irregularities. Until the irregularities are cleared, they remain sacked. The Rector of Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori was asked to proceed on compulsory leave, because of official misconduct and being investigated. The rector must be on compulsory leave, pending the outcome of the investigations.”

    Inko-Tariah, while reacting to Wike’s disbandment of the Rivers State Road Traffic Management Authority (TIMA-RIV), put in place by the Amaechi’s administration, said: “TIMA-RIV officials were constituting nuisance and extorting money from Rivers people, leading to accidents and loss of lives of innocent persons. It was a radical departure from what they were asked to be doing. TIMA-RIV will be reconstituted at the appropriate time.”

    The Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, condemned the sacking of the 344 lecturers and others, saying Wike should desist from punishing “innocent Rivers people, in his bid to get at Amaechi”.

    APC said: “It is sad to note that Governor Nyesom Wike’s obsession to conduct a vengeful vendetta and reprisal against every good legacy left behind by his predecessor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has now led him to sack 344 lecturers and other staff duly employed by the authorities of the Rivers State Ministry of Education for the services of the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori.

    “The employment of the sacked lecturers and staff by the Amaechi’s administration, which commenced as far back as 2013, followed due process, as they were painstakingly taken through rigorous examinations and documentation, including biometric capture, to ease their working life. The affected lecturers continue to insist that their recruitment followed due process.

    “In a most shocking manner, Wike mindlessly directed, through the Rivers State Ministry of Education, that the engagement of the 344 lecturers and other personnel be terminated in one fell swoop, without a thought for what will become of those involved, their families and dependants.

     ”To confirm that the Rivers governor was out on a vendetta mission, he also directed that the Rector of the Polytechnic, Obiaanko Elechi, should embark on compulsory leave.”

     The APC also said Wike planned to sack all non-indigenes recruited as part of the 13,200 teachers by Amaechi’s administration.

    APC said: “The worry APC has is not that a thoroughly vindictive fellow chose to embark on a needless mission of vendetta, true to his nature, character and track record, but the party is totally at a loss at how Wike will execute such mindless agenda with so much collateral damage to the existence and livelihood of so many innocent Nigerians, their families and dependants.

     ”It is important to state that what is unfolding may be God’s own way to expose the fraud that Wike is to the good people of Rivers State, so that all will see what the APC warned about the man, during the last electioneering in the state. We condemn these anti-people developments by the Wike-led caretaker government of Rivers State.”

    Inko-Tariah described the alleged plan to sack non-indigenes among the 13,200 teachers recruited by ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the figment of the imagination of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    He said: “Governor Wike does not plan to sack the teachers, indigenes or non-indigenes, who are all residents of Rivers State and have equal rights. The issue has not been discussed.”

  • The several off-sides of Wike

    Rivers State Governor Ezebuwon Nyesom Wike has made some seemingly populist declarations and controversial appointments since he was sworn into office by an imported state Chief Judge on May 29. The populist slogans, the product of a deliberate media agenda hatched by a hired team from across the borders, had anyway, done little to give new face to Wike’s rating. In all intent and purpose, the governor remains a man in dire need of a speech therapist; a governor whose public image runs too low to last a week. Were he on a field of play, a strict referee would have red-carded him.

    A little trip on Wike’s valley will do. First, he awarded a contract to Julius Berger, a company that left Rivers State over five years ago, verbally. Wike termed the contract, ‘Operation Zero Potholes’. The drama was well-staged by Wike who smiled into the cameras and was applauded by praise singers. Wike followed no due process in the award. There was no Public Notice for tender from interested companies. Wike left no clue as to when, where and how JB became the preferred bidder.

    The Bureau for Public Procurement, otherwise called Due Process, a body established by Law of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was manacled. Unlike Wike, former Governor Chibuike Amaechi had submitted every contract award to Due Process and transparency prevailed. But in Wike’s case, as exemplified in the JB road show, arbitrariness has been promoted as state status. If Wike kicked-off – as he actually did – in such brazen, reckless manner, then, future contracts and other government transactions will not fare any less.

    Next, Wike made appointments into the Board of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority. Wike first appointed Mr. Desmond Akawo,  Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Korea, the Sole Administrator. The Ambassador is not known to have resigned his diplomatic appointment. As controversial as Akawo’s appointment is, Wike made two other worse appointments into that Authority. He appointed his direct cousin and then, his in-law as members of that Borad. If Wike made those appointments on merit, then merit means nepotism. Then, if they were done to make governance an act of patronage, it means that competence and fair competition have no space under Wike’s regime. Or, will he, in good conscience, say that his direct blood relation and his in-law would have been the best in equal and transparent competition?

    Wike did not include the three statutory bodies prescribed by Law to serve on the Board of the Authority. By Law, representatives of the Ministries of Land, Finance and Planning, are compulsory members. By cutting them off, Wike has bruised the Law that established GPHDA. Signs are obvious that under Wike, law and order in Rivers State will go on a far journey. Under him, foul will be fair.

    Another controversy dogging Wike is the N10bn loan he has secured. He told Rivers people that repayment would be through the state’s share of VAT. However, unlike FAAC, ECA and 13 per cent Derivation Fund, VAT is not receipted. In order words, VAT cannot be determined as it is lumped into others. So, since the Federal Government does not receipt VAT, how will Wike determine what volume of VAT Rivers State will receive monthly as to know how much to pay? Endless!

    Another is the appointment of Mr. Felix Obuah, the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman as Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA). Questions that include whether Obuah’s job as party chairman is now part-time have been asked. No answer yet.

    Several goofs, several questions!

     

    •Anyalewechi is a Port Harcourt-based journalist.

  • Rivers is peaceful, says Wike

    Rivers is peaceful, says Wike

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said the state has been peaceful since he took over on May 29.

    The governor said several national conferences and meetings in the state in the last three weeks had shown that stories of insecurity in the state were propaganda aimed at attracting negative publicity.

    Wike spoke on Tuesday night at a cocktail in Port Harcourt, the state capital, for vice chancellors.

    The governor said his administration had put in place measures to guarantee the safety of life and property.

    He added that the state had again become a destination of choice.

    Wike expressed happiness that the vice chancellors and other university top officials had stayed in the state for over three days and realised the state was peaceful.

    He said: “We have committed ourselves to hosting many national meetings and conferences since we took over the reins of governance. This, we have done to prove that we have restored peace and stability in the state, with businesses going on without hindrance.

    “If you (vice chancellors) had not come here for your 30th annual conference, you might have been tempted to believe that Port Harcourt was an unsafe place.

    “They created the impression that as you move around Port Harcourt you see bodies of people who have been killed in violence. In the days you spent in Port Harcourt, you have noticed that it is a peaceful community with a rich night life.”

    The governor said his administration took firm measures to revive the Judiciary and the House of Assembly to return the state to full-fledged democracy.

    According to him, the people are reaping the benefits through the peaceful atmosphere across the state.

    Wike assured that further steps were being taken to ensure that security agencies work on grey areas to consolidate the achievements the government had recorded.

    The Chairman of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof Joseph Ajienka, hailed Wike for taking proactive steps to improve the state.

  • Rivers APC: Wike lacks power to dissolve local govts

    Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Governor Nyesom Wike lacks the power to dissolve the elected local government areas.

    A statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, by the state’s APC Chairman Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said: “We are aware that Chief Nyesom Wike claims to have read Law though he never practised this noble profession for one single day and may, therefore, not know the position of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on this issue.

    “We, therefore, wish to advise him to find time to read the relevant portions of the Constitution and educate himself on his lack of powers to dissolve local government areas duly elected by the Rivers people.

    “If he claims that he has the powers to dissolve the local government areas, he is invariably saying that the Federal Government has powers to dissolve his ‘illegal’ government without following due process.

    “Any such action by Wike will not only be an exercise in futility but would be in clear contempt of court, as the issue is currently before the Port Harcourt Federal High Court …and the Court of Appeal…

    “Besides, the Supreme Court …has severally ruled that governors lack the powers to sack elected local government areas, as in the case of the removal of 148 elected local government areas by the Abia State Government in 2006 and the subsequent Court of Appeal judgments on Imo and Ekiti states in 2012 and 2013, where it was held that such actions by governors amounted to ‘executive rascality’.”R

  • Wike: I’ve recovered 10 stolen govt vehicles

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday said he has recovered 10 vehicles allegedly stolen by officials of the Rotimi Amaechi  administration.

    Wike, in a statement by his aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, said: “ In a bid to recover government property looted from Government House, Port Harcourt, security agencies on Monday evening took possession of 10 vehicles stolen by officials of the immediate-past administration in the state.

    “The looted vehicles were recovered from two locations- Rumuokparali and Trans-Amadi  in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.”

    He gave the details of the recovered vehicles as: 1 Coaster Bus, 2 Nissan Urvan buses,  2 Higer vehicles,  1 Land Cruiser,  1 Toyota Hilux Pick Up, 1 Peugeot 607 Saloon and 2 Peugeot 406 cars.

    He added that: “The security operatives who conducted the operation were accompanied to the locations by some Government House staff. Already,  security operatives are quizzing those found at the locations where the stolen vehicles were recovered.  The recovery process is an ongoing exercise.”

    He pledged that all stolen government property would be recovered and those found to have engaged in the criminal act made to face the full wrath of the law.

    Wike, on assumption of duty, claimed to have uncovered massive looting of government property and facilities by the immediate past administration. Amaechi has denied the allegations, saying Wike was on a witch hunt mission.

    The governor also took Rivers PDP leaders on a tour of the Government House,  Port Harcourt.

     

  • Wike dissolves RSIEC, judicial commission

    Wike dissolves RSIEC, judicial commission

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday dissolved the boards of the State Judicial Service Commission (RSJSC) and the State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

    This followed the resolution of the House of Assembly, which empowered the governor to sack members of both commissions.

    The governor announced last night that the dissolution was with immediate effect.

    A statement in Port Harcourt, the state capital, by his Special Adviser on Publicity, Mr Opunabo Inko-Tariah, said the governor sacked the members of the two commissions for their alleged misconduct during the tenure of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

    The decision followed the votes by the lawmakers after an interactive session between the Assembly members and those of the two commissions.

    Members of the RSJSC were led by the commission’s Secretary, Mrs Kate Baridor, who is also a Chief Magistrate Grade I; those of RSIEC were led by their Chairman, Prof Augustine Ahiazu.

  • Amaechi vs Wike: Between facts and fiction

    A Little after the present Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike accused his predecessor,  the immediate past governor, Rotimi Amaechi of looting and vandalising properties in the Rivers State Government House by taking away  items like bullet proof doors, carpets, cars, furniture, curtains and windows, a container of controversial narrations and analysis has emerged with Amaechi’s response that ‘the current governor is trying to intimidate, threaten and blackmail officials of his then administration, including civil servants into making false, phony and bogus claims of alleged corruption and corrupt practices against him and his wife, Judith’.

    Indeed, Amaechi’s detailed response has now made it difficult to sieve the truth from a big basket of allegations by Nyesom Wike. An understanding of how politics is practiced in Nigerian would suggest that what Wike has done with accusations of looting of furniture and cars at the Rivers Government House is nothing far from the usual strategy of distraction that is observed every time an incumbent governor hands over to an opposing party. As such, Wike’s disclosures are not strange, however what is different from the customary allegations is that this time round, it is not money that is being talked about but basic domestic items which ordinarily should have their inventory well documented in the office of the Permanent Secretary that serves as the chief accounting officer of the Government House.

    To claim that Amaechi looted the Rivers State Government House is very premature as confirming such allegations is far beyond using doctored images to portray a scattered house as vandalized in the presence of some selected journalists.

    Ordinarily, if Governor Wike meant well, good logic would have informed him to seek an inventory of what items were there in Amaechi’s stay in office and what he left behind at his exit from office. The simple question that has been raised is, did Wike know what was in Amaechi’s former bedroom to have been able to reach a conclusion of looting? Otherwise, Wike’s claims are best thrown into the dustbin and regarded as weak ploy to score cheap points. Indeed, until a proper and transparent inventory analysis is professionally conducted, it will be difficult to regard Wike as serious. Certainly, from every reasonable analysis, what Wike has done in his first day on duty as governor, shows that he is acting out a script which suggest that his main purpose in politics is to fight dirty rather than focus on the right measures that will advance the condition of the governed.

    Ordinarily, one would have thought that Wike as a trained lawyer would have known the essence of well articulated evidence when presenting a case. The pictures of scattered chairs and tables cannot sufficiently serve as proof that an accused is responsible for looting except where there exist documentary evidence from security cameras and or uncompromised individuals to buttress such.  On the issue of vandalised kitchen cabinets, I think if a man of Amaechi’s status really meant to cause discomfort for his successor, the seeming destruction of property should not start and end in a kitchen of  a house he literally renovated to an edifice status. Perhaps, if Amaechi had capacity for evil acts, he would have started the so-called vandalisation from the foundation than go to an irrelevant portion of the mansion. That Wike never mentioned any colossal damage to the said Government House rightly suggests that he is just obsessed with trying to get unnecessary attention on an issue that he could even be accused of simulating or masterminding.

    Granted that anyone that has held or is holding a government office deserves public scrutiny; but when such inquiry translates to blatant absurdity and half-truths as demonstrated by Wike, then the reasons behind such must be investigated thoroughly to ensure that this is neither an intent to divert attention, weak attempt to discredit another person nor design to deplete the treasury of the state.

    Consequently, any objective analyst should appreciate that the media outing by Wike is obviously a tragic error because what he attempted to portray on alleged looting could have been left for the journalists to confirm from witnesses present at the time of the alleged vandalisation or could it have been possible that as at the time he resumed office, the entire security personnel at the Government House had fled and  the security camera gadgets destroyed?

    Wike’s claims are appalling especially coming from a lawyer and he really needs to be reminded  that as a legal professional, he should have taken the proper step to assemble credible evidence before considering a visit with pressmen. Indeed, the churning out of this unconfirmed story in major newspapers is also huge minus for the press as it has exposed the embarrassing fact that in Nigeria, investigative journalism is almost dead or highly compromised. For anyone to use Wike’s  lies and misinformation, it simply suggests a willingness to stray from the truth in preference for reporting  a stream of fabrications. The big story for any journalist wanting a real scoop might be: who opened the premises for Wike and what did they see there, a vandalized house or not?

    For ease of recall, anyone that has given some reasonable attention to politics of Rivers State would agree that there is a wide gulf in the relationship between Amaechi and Wike, hitherto described as  two close friends before they went separate ways in the wake of 2015 general elections. Be that as it may, Wike from all reasonable logic, has acted dishonestly and appears to be venturing into dangerous political path scarcely towed in Nigeria. Granted that on many occasions, we know politicians to be economical with the truth, at other times we know them to stretch lies against the opposing camp, nevertheless, the disclosures made by Wike against Amaechi share great semblance with willful and purposeful lying. Indeed, it will be good for Wike to be challenged by the public on these allegations not necessarily for the purpose of advancing any political party’s interest  but for advancing both morality and integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.

    Wike’s stream of mistruths cannot reap him any political awards or  help win his case at the tribunal. Rather, these ostracized falsehoods will only thrust him further into unhealthy controversy. As such, now that a large section of the press has debunked his false claims, the honourable thing for him to do is to  concede the truth for the restoration of personal honour and integrity. Otherwise, the blatant lies Wike has tried to spread  must be confronted and exposed because any political office holder ought to distance himself from such  especially in any modern society which abhors lies and largely associates leaders with such traits of lying with incompetence.

    Wike’s attempt to engage lying as a useful political strategy clearly portrays him as a man that may be clueless on how to manage the affairs of Rivers State. The simple question to ask here, is why should he claim that he would need about four months to fix the vandalized items whereas some people can even build a house in less than four months? In fact, it is only a person that is dumb that will accept what Wike says without questions. Wike lack of truthfulness is not only huge indictment of the character of person the PDP has selected to rule Rivers State  but that his party has weak vetting process which encourages men of questionable character and dishonesty to be in office.

    Wike’s Rivers State PDP has a long history of attempting to smear the APC at any opportunity. For anyone still unaware, the smear campaign was launched by Wike when it became obvious that Amaechi had settled for another candidate as his successor as Governor from the APC. For the average peace loving person, this dirty politics should have been over but Wike’s recent expressed dishonesty is a real tragedy in the making. That is the truth, and it is time the Rivers people knew this and the consequences ahead.

     

    • Shaibu,a Public Communication Consultant,writes from Abuja.
  • Wike in a fix over Rivers councils

    Wike in a fix over Rivers councils

    Few days to Governor Nyesom Wike’s inauguration, he inherited a set of council chairmen elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC). Sunday Oguntola reports that the development is causing serious concerns for the new governor and his camp

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has a big headache to cure: What to do with elected council chairmen.

    The governor, whose election is being contested at the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress (APC), is confused over how to handle council chairmen elected on the platform of the APC.

    The APC swept all the 22 contested council seats at the election, which held just six days to the inauguration of Wike.

    The elections held despite boycott by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party had condemned the exercise, describing it as lacking in transparency. It claimed there was a court injunction stopping the conduct of the elections.

    The party’s chairman in Rivers, Felix Obuah, contended that the election was an exercise in futility because of a subsisting court order that the status quo be maintained.

    Five other parties, including the Labour Party (LP) also shunned the exercise. They insisted the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISEC) had been compromised to work in favour of the APC.

    Despite torrential rainfall that started around 5am, the election went ahead in all the councils and wards without incidence of violence or break down of laws.

    While declaring the results, RISEC Chief Returning Officer, Prof Austin Ahiauzu, said the APC won all the 22 contested council seats.

    The party, he added, also won 297 councillorship seats in the 302 wards while others won the rest.

    The REC stated: “The chairmanship seats were won by APC in all the 22 LGAs where elections held.

    “As you know, there were no elections at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA because they just had election last year.

    “APC won 297 out of 302 wards. The remaining wards were won by ADC in Etche ward 3, PPA in Ahoada West ward 2, and Ahoada East ward 4, SDP won the seat there.”

    He, however, said the election in Ward 8, Ahoada East LGA, was inconclusive.

    Describing the election as peaceful and transparent, Ahiauzu commended Rivers residents for voting for candidates of their choice.

    While swearing in the newly elected council bosses, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi assured them that no court can dissolved them.

    He challenged them to deliver democratic dividends to the people at the grassroots, while also sustaining the tenets of democracy.

    Insisting that the election was a true reflection of the wishes of the people, Amaechi said: “RSIEC as a commission has complied with the law. Those who did not participate in the election, it is their business. We wanted to prove to the country that the election of March 28 and April 11 were rigged. We wanted everybody to come out and vote and see the true reflection of the people.

    “You can see a local government like Port Harcourt, there were 26,000 accredited voters and 23,000 voted for APC. That shows you that it is a true reflection of an election.

    “Where did those people get 1million votes? That is why they were afraid to come out. All we have done is to comply with the law.

    “I hear they are threatening to dissolve. The courts will determine that. We will be prepared as a party to meet them. So, I want to urge you to work hard and to pray hard.”

    Shortly after their assumption of office, Wike threatened to sack all the newly elected council chairmen.

    According to him: “The outgoing governor charged the council chairmen while swearing them in to resist any attempt to dissolve them because Buhari would not support impunity.

    “Who is master of impunity when the court said don’t organise any election because it is illegal and you went ahead. If I dissolve them, Buhari would support me because that is the height of impunity.”

    But sources said Wike is really in a quagmire on how to tread over the issue. His dilemma, it was learnt, was heightened by the fact that the PDP is not longer in control of the federal government.

    “The governor is really embattled, I must confess,” the source stated last week. “It is obvious that the councils’ election was a bumpy trap set for him by the Amaechi’s administration. If he decides to sack them as he threatened, it will create a lot of troubles for him because he would tamper with the grassroots support base of the APC.

    “If he leaves them, it means he has to work with enemies at the grassroots. Yes, he can suspend but how many chairmen will he suspend before the crisis engulfs him? So, he is really in a fix and wondering how to navigate out of the quagmire.”

    Analysts believe tampering with the structure of councils’ politics will create a huge credibility issue for the new governor. Should he decide to go for the broke and sack the council bosses, he would require a court pronouncement to take it through. Even if he succeeds in getting the pronouncement, the action will create additional political enemies for the governor in the nooks and crannies of the state.

    This is a risk Wike is not disposed to taking, sources close to him say. One of them claimed: “The last thing we want now is another political battle. We are battle-weary after the extensive, draining electioneering tussle. We want just to settle down and see what we can do.

    “We need peace and calm polity to retain people’s confidence. If, in the next one month, people can’t feel what we are doing, there will be disenchantment. They will start looking for alternatives and don’t forget our victory is still under contention. If you have such baggage, it is best to settle down and govern well to win the public over.

    “But once you start taking on the council bosses who have been building a strong support base for the APC, you are heading for distraction. This is exactly what the opposition wants and we have to be careful not to be playing into their traps.”

    But another source said: “The concern is leaving the councils in the hands of oppositions and APC’s helmsmen. They will cripple the governor and affect how much he can impact the grassroots. That is what we want to avoid though we don’t also want to run into troubles with local politicians.”

    The governor is said to be weighing his options. One of them is wooing the council chairmen to his and PDP’s side. “That appears to be a good option because it means winning a battle without going to war. But it will be expensive and dicey because we believe not all of them can be bought over. Even if they are all disposed to that option, you will need billions to get that done over a period of time,” a source noted.

    Another option is reining in those who choose to be recalcitrant through tightening of access to finances and government largess. But that option is fraught with challenges. On one side, the APC-led government at the federal level will not condone such impunity. President Muhammadu Buhari has said local government autonomy is one of his cardinal programmes.

    More so, such option will expose Wike to federal might. Knowing that he is a marked man with his election still under contention, sources close to him said the governor is not in the mood to further estrange himself politically.

    The legal battle will also be a lengthy one that will leave governance suffering. It comes with a strain on political and financial goodwill. Wike recognises this hurdle and is desperate to avoid, instead of scaling it.

    But to leave the council bosses unattended to is also politically suicidal for Wike. Members of his camp, who spoke with our correspondent, acknowledged this much. One of them said: “It is like leaving one’s house on fire. It is suicidal and deadly.”

    Head or tail, the governor has a serious political battle to contend with. Though his camp said time will tell how much missiles they will need to apply, it is a battle that will leave his administration either redeemed or destroyed.

  • Wike becoming sole signatory to govt accounts sad, says APC

    Wike becoming sole signatory to govt accounts sad, says APC

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State chapter, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, has described as bad the decision of Governor Nyesom Wike to become the sole signatory to government bank accounts.

     Ikanya said it is one of the signs that Wike was not prepared for governance.

    He said: “Apart from dreaming of Amaechi anytime he closes his eyes, which he does at most of the public functions he attends, Wike is busy intimidating banks, permanent secretaries and civil servants in Rivers State and allotting to himself the status of sole signatory to the bank accounts of all the government agencies in the state, including local government councils’ accounts. These steps, apart from being inimical to the peace and progress of Rivers State, have put the state in bad light, both nationally and internationally.”

    He described Wike’s one week as governor as a disaster foretold, accusing him of running a motor-park administration.

    Ikanya, yesterday in Port Harcourt, through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, expressed optimism that Wike would soon be thrown out by the election petitions tribunal sitting in Abuja, over the massively-rigged April 11 election.

     Rivers APC chairman said: “The first one week of Wike’s administration has vindicated our well-known stand that he is not prepared for governance and will be a disaster if he accidentally finds himself in power, which has now happened, through his unjust declaration as governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “What is being witnessed in Rivers State under Wike’s watch makes the heart to bleed. While it is true that Wike never had a programme for Rivers State, we had expected him to attempt to implement the Roadmap for Rivers Development, which he copied from our governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, but he could not, as a poor student, demonstrate an idea of what governance is all about. All that Wike is busy doing since he assumed office is telling the world that Amaechi did this and Amaechi did not do this.

    “If the immediate past Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is the sole agenda of Wike, then INEC has done an irrevocable damage to Rivers State and its people, by imposing Wike, who lacks a basic understanding of what it takes to govern a complex state like Rivers.

    “If one considers the seriousness which many newly-elected governors in the country have demonstrated by setting out targets to achieve within their first one hundred days in office, then it becomes obvious that a great tragedy has befallen Rivers State in the person of Wike.”

    Ikanya also pleaded with the people to bear whatever pains Wike might inflict on them, which he described as temporary.

     He urged the governor to stop chasing shadows and cease his unwarranted attacks on Amaechi.

    The Rivers APC chairman warned that any further disparaging attack on Amaechi would no longer be tolerated.

  • Wike, Amaechi battle over Govt House

    Wike, Amaechi battle over Govt House

    Since Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, started trading words over alleged vandalisation and looting of the Government House, Port Harcourt, the question on the mind of many has been: who is lying? The poser became deepened yesterday when Amaechi released what he said were pictures of the state of the Government House as at the time he left it.

    The pictures are sharp contrasts to the ones supplied by Wike. According to Wike, all the bullet proof doors, furniture, cars, crested carpets, curtains and windows were stolen by the former administration.

    He said: “As I speak with you, everything has been vandalised.  I will not enter the Government House in the next two or three months.

    “There is no vehicle in Government House, not even one. Yet the former governor talks about corruption”.

    Other things allegedly looted are: air conditioners, window blinds, electrical/electronic gadgets, safes, Jacuzzis, room facilities and other domestic utensils, including fridges, freezers, televisions, beds and beddings.

    Amaechi, in a statement accompanying the pictures yesterday, said Wike was only out to witch hunt him.

    Amaechi, in a statement by his media aide, David Iyofor, described as a fraud the video and pictures of the looted and vandalised Government House.

    “The images are also fraud, arranged and executed by Wike to enable him vote billions of Naira from the state treasury to renovate and refurbish the place, while also accusing me of corruption. I repeat, this is clearly a game, a grand conspiracy to siphon state funds under the sub-head of renovating and refurbishing a supposedly ‘vandalised and looted’ Government House, while also falsely smearing my image.”

    “Wike said the curtains in the Governor’s residence were looted, but even in his stage-managed images, you could clearly see that the curtains are still intact. I left Government House intact.

    “Rivers people should hold Wike responsible if there’s any looting and vandalism in Government House. There is verifiable information that on May 29, Wike stopped key Government House staff, including the Permanent Secretary (who’s the chief accounting officer) from entering the premises, only to shout looting and vandalism 48 hours later. Why were civil servants, including the most senior civil servant in Government House, barred from entering the compound on May 29? Was it to give him time and provide cover to stage-manage the shooting of the fraudulent video that he’s now gleefully showing?”

    The last has certainly not been heard about this matter and the poser remains: who the hell is the liar?