The war of words between the former Governor of Rivers State Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his successor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, went a pitch higher last weekend, when the media was awash with the comparison of projects executed during the tenure of Wike and his predecessor.
Wike, who spoke at the inauguration of the Rukpakwulusi/Eliogbolo internal roads on Saturday, said Amaechi’s remarks that he (Wike) is noisy with his projects. smacked of envy and malice.
Describing Amaechi as a failure and a liar, Wike said most of the promises the former Governor made to Rivers were not fulfilled insisting that as a Minister of transportation, Amaechi could not attract any Federal Government sponsored project to the State.
He said: “I heard a few days ago the former Governor of Rivers State said that he did a lot of roads in Port Harcourt, he did not make noise. What is all about the noise? I didn’t see the flyovers. If you did the road mention the road.
“I remember when you built the secondary school in Elekahia Rebisi, every Ambassador in Nigeria, you carried the person to that place. That small school. Then you are asking us what we are celebrating. Shame on to you.
“When your President said look it doesn’t matter, this man is the best as far as infrastructure is concerned. We are celebrating your failures. You told lies to your people. You told them you will give them executive director project, in NDDC, did we get anything?
“I am happy that even your people those following you if they are still remaining, mention one person in a local government an influential person you can pinpoint and say this man is with me. Because your lies have come out open. I am not the one, who said people should leave your party. We have used projects to demystify you and the Federal government knows that you are a bloody liar”.
Wike said it was disheartening as Minister, Amaechi never attracted any project to the State adding that Amaechi’s supporters had begun to desert him because he lacked integrity.
He said: “I’m not the one who say people should leave your party. We have used projects to demystify you and the Federal government. They pointed you as a minister, what did you bring to this State? Even in your community Ubima, you said you are going to bring University of Transportation, is it there? You said you are going to give us narrow guage rail line, have you given us?
“He promised Ogoni people that he is going to do Saapkenwa-Bori road, he did not do it. To the glory of God today, we have done it from Saapkenwa to Kono, dualised with streetlights, the road is not less than 25 kilometres.
“Why will we not celebrate? You promised the Kalabari people, you are going to do Trans-Kalabari road, did you do it.? By the grace of God, this December, we are going to commission the first phase of Trans-Kalabari road.
“Eight years in office, you said you are going to complete Andoni-Opobo Unity road. Did you do it?By the grace of God today, we have completed the Opobo section and we are still working on the Andoni section.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State chapter on Saturday, listed the achievements of former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi whilst in office between 2007 and 2015, in response to an earlier statement made by Wike to criticise his predecessor on the quality and number of projects executed during his (Amaechi’s) tenure.
The Spokesperson of the Rivers APC, Darlington Nwauju, on November 26, in a statement made available to Africa Update, said the former Minister performed incredibly well during his tenure and for the sake of putting the records straight, the party has decided to outline Amaechi’s achievements.
Read full statement: APC RESPONSE TO GOV WIKE’S LATEST ATTACK ON AMAECHINigerians no longer take seriously most of the comments that come out of the Governor of Rivers State and being our leader’s former staff, there is no way Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi can engage in any media exchanges with the Governor.
However, it is important to set the records straight by confirming that the former Governor of Rivers State had to the credit of his administration, the following fly-over projects:1. Agip fly-over2. Eliozu flyover3. Obiri Ikwere flyover4. Eleme flyover, and5. Woji flyoverThese projects like others under his administration were done with utmost regard for due process as they went through competitive bidding processes with premium standards delivered in the best interest of Rivers people.
It is also important to state that while the Chibuike Amaechi administration had an IGR of between #1.5-#1.9billion naira monthly to work with, the Wike administration gets between #10billion – #15billion monthly in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) monthly. Again, while the later years of the Amaechi administration saw a barrage of attacks from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Wike administration is enjoying the highest form of cooperation from the centre as #83billion was refunded the Rivers State Government for federal projects executed by the Amaechi administration, and this approval was graciously extended by the Buhari administration while Amaechi sat in Council as Minister of Transport.
Without struggling to always sound politically correct like Governor Wike, we can beat our chest to say that our leader and former Governor of Rivers State did so much for Rivers State as 12,200 teachers were employed, 400 doctors enoloyed, pharmacists and nurses were all employed without clannish, tribal or political sentiments unlike what recently happened at the Rivers State University were only persons from Governor Wike’s community were given employment opportunities against the Oath of Allegiance the Governor swore to be fair to all manner of men.
The model secondary and primary schools built by the Amaechi adminstration was sited across the 319 political wards of Rivers State, and the Ubima community where the former Governor comes from, also benefitted. There is also a Naval War College at Ubima. Development of communities or improving the lives of the rural people is not limited to the construction of over-invoiced and poor quality roads without drainages.We do know that posterity is the judge of all men.”
