Accept the reality of your political loss, Governor Wike tells Amaechi, APC
*says his administration has kick-started the revival of the state
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has advised former
Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, to accept the reality that his
political party lost the rerun elections and allow the state
government focus on the rebuilding of the state.
Governor Wike
said that the responsibility of reviving the state after the
immediate past administration failed to use the three trillion naira
(N3trillion) that accrued to the state under its watch is enormous.
Declaring open a retreat on strengthening capacity, efficiency and
service delivery for sustainable development for top government
officials at Onne Multi-Purpose Centre on Thursday, Governor Wike said
that the administration has deployed resources and expertise to
correct the failures of the Amaechi administration.
He
said: "I call on the former Governor and leader of the APC in the State
to accept the reality that the re-run elections has woefully been lost
by his party and that Rivers people have, again, overwhelmingly
re-affirm their confidence, trust and preference for the PDP.
"Therefore, spare us the agony of unnecessary hostility and allow Rivers
State to move forward in peace and security. We expect you to use your
high office and connections to attract meaningful development projects
to the State as I did during my time; not senseless and unpatriotic
distractions. Enough is enough.
" All of us are aware of the
sorry state of things in Rivers State before May 29 2015. Between
October 25 2007 and May 28 2015 over three trillion naira accrued from
all revenue sources to the State. Yet, they did nothing tangible with
that money to develop the State. Instead, they squandered and diverted
most of this money into private pockets through bogus and ill-fated
projects. "
The governor noted that all key projects initiated
by the Amaechi administration were either abandoned or not executed
at all.
He said: "Let’s briefly look at the records since they
live in denial. The visible projects initiated by former Governor
Amaechi during his eight years in office include: the Karibi Whyte mega
Hospital project, the Greater Port Harcourt Project, the new Rivers
State University project; the RSSDA over-seas scholarship scheme; the
mosquitos eradication scheme, the Adokiye Amiesemaka Stadium project,
the 500 primary schools project, the 23 mega secondary schools project,
the ill-fated less than 1.5kms monorail project, and the dualization of
some inner city roads.
"However, none of these projects was
realized before they left office despite spending billions and billions
of naira on them. For example, the Karibi Whyte Hospital was not just
abandoned at the foundation stage, it turned out to be a big scam on
Rivers people. The Greater Port Harcourt project existed mainly on paper
without any tangible progress. The Adokye Amiesimaka stadium was
abandoned half completed, while not even a stone was laid for the
proposed new Rivers State University.
"Furthermore, the mosquito
eradication project was another huge scam, just as the secondary school
and overseas scholarships scheme were misconceived, fraudulent and
unsustainable. In addition, they sold off three of the State’s four
independent power plants initiated by the Governor Odili administration
to cronies and diverted the proceeds to private ends.
"The
narrative is not different in their much-flaunted education and health
projects. Their own project audit before they left office reveals that
out of 498 primary schools they initiated, only 116 were completed and
the rest abandoned. Similarly, out of the 23-mega secondary schools they
initiated, only one was completed, the rest abandoned. Throughout the
eight years, no public secondary school was rehabilitated, while all the
general hospitals were willfully abandoned to rot and decay. I
challenge the former Governor to controvert these facts in a public
debate."
He said despite inheriting a badly governed state, his
administration hit the ground running, initiating critical projects
and programmes that have revived the economy of the state to the benefit
of the people.
The governor said: " I made it clear from our
first day in office that we didn’t run for the office of Governor for
the fun of it. We ran to restore hope to our people; provide first-class
public infrastructure, tackle insecurity and make Rivers State a
preferred destination for local and foreign entrepreneurs.
"We
promised to build a new Rivers State where our people will be secure in a
well-managed government that cares about how we serve our people;
secure in a justice system that protects the rule of law and delivers
equitable justice; secure in a prospering economy that works for
everyone; a Rivers State where our children have equal access to
first-rate education regardless of background; a Rivers State that is
secure in a healthcare system that is accessible, qualitative and
affordable for everyone. "
He pledged that his administration
will continue to work for the benefit of the people translating
the New Rivers Vision into reality within the specified time.
The governor noted that his administration will sustain sound
development principles and the pro-people accountable application of
resources to enhance the development of the state.
He
said: "Let me re-affirm the determination of our government to make
Rivers State secure, peaceful and prosperous through public and private
sector participation. Although the glorious fruits of the transformative
process we have started would take some time to fully manifest, there
is no doubt that we are making steady progress with the lean resources
at our disposal, despite the disruptive distractions from the bizarre
opposition that has taken partisan politics to the point of terror."
In his opening remarks, Secretary to the Rivers State Government,
Chief Kenneth Kobani stated that the retreat was organised to equip
top government officials with knowledge to assist the governor
achieve his development goals.
The Retreat had as resource
persons the following: Prof Ibrahim Gambari, Prof A.O. Afolabi, Prof
Bob Osaze, Ambassador SM Taribo, Dr Ita Ekpeyong, Mr Emeka Ezeh,
Ambassador John Gana, Prof Christiana Okoji, Dr Egem Odey and Ferdinand
Agu .
The governor, his Deputy, Commissioners, Special
Advisers, Special Assistants, Permanent Secretaries, Members of Boards
and Commissions are participants at the retreat.
Simeon Nwakaudu,
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.
7th April, 2016.
