Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and the senator representing Rivers South-East district in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, have disagreed on the current leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Wike, while speaking in a live phone-in programme of a private radio station monitored in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday, declared that the APC is dead in the state.
But, Abe, in a brief chat with newsmen in his residence in Port Harcourt, insisted that the ruling party is only passing through a temporary challenge that will be resolved soon.
The senator said, “APC is an idea that Nigerians cane together to use to fight injustice. So, it cannot be used as an instrument of injustice. We believe that whatever challenge that may exist in the party will be resolved in the interest of generality of members and justice will emerge for everybody. I don’t really see much of a challenge in what is going on.”
Wike, during the radio programme, alleged plots by the APC to use security agencies to rig in 2019 general election in the state, saying that such plot will not work as the people of the state will resist any form of electoral robbery.
The governor described as unfortunate the statements credited to his predecessor and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on projects and programmes across the state.
He said, “It is unfortunate that someone who was celebrating his 52nd Birthday would tell Rivers people what is not correct. The immediate past administration abandoned projects by previous administrations. But we chose to complete projects that they abandoned. We completed all the projects that will positively impact the lives of our people.”
“We inherited N14.7billion as salaries and pensions from the Amaechi administration, which we cleared. N23.2billion loan from Zenith Bank was also inherited and cleared by us. Another agriculture loan obtained by that administration was cleared by my administration.”
On the abandoned projects inherited by his administration, Wike informed that contrary to claims by Amaechi, his administration paid the contractors N6billion to complete the Epirikom-Rumuolumeni Road which was awarded in 2012 at the cost of N10.3billion, adding that the road was less than 25 per cent completed at the time his administration took over.
The governor stated that the Nkpogu Bridges was awarded by the immediate past administration, but were not constructed because of a dispute between the contractor and that administration, stressing that his administration inherited the contractors, negotiated and paid the contractors for the bridges, which have been delivered and commissioned.
He said Amaechi merely returned to the state to launder his image, in view of the collapsed APC structure in the state, pointing out that the administration paid for and completed the abandoned Ozuoba-Ogbogoro-Rumuolumini Road and is already working on the abandoned Garrison-Trans Amadi -Elelenwo which will be completed in December.
Wike stated that the administration is working on the Elelenwo -Akpajo road and Ochigba road in Ahoada East local government area, which was abandoned by the previous administration due to political consideration.
The governor, who said this administration initiated new projects that have impacted the lives of the people, positively, listed the 42 roads in Diobu, roads in Borikiri, Ogbunabali Internal Roads, Isiokpo Internal Roads, Elele-Alimini internal roads, Omoku Internal Roads, Igwuruta-Chokocho road, Chokocho-Rumukrusi road, Ulakwo II-Afara-Nihi Road, Eneka-Rukpokwu road, Rukpokwu-Aluu among other road projects.
He stated that his administration has revived the state’s secondary healthcare sector by totally rehabilitating 13 General Hospitals, while over 300 primary schools are being renovated and equipped under the state universal basic education programme.
Wike said, “His (Amaechi) anger is that I have been given the name , Mr Projects. I came to serve the people. You are comparing your eight years with my two years.”
