Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi yesterday traded words over their performance in office.
Wike berated accused Amaechi ofnot attracting any project to the state while serving as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the latter said it was untrue and listed the projects he brought to Rivers as a serving minister.
The governor wished ill luck to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other opposition parties on the ballot against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s battle for his proposed successor and PDP governorship candidate, Siminalaye Fubara.
Wike spoke yesterday at the Government House, Port Harcourt while signing more contracts agreement with Julius Berger, which included two new flyovers.
He said: “What will the former minister (Amaechi) tell them (Rivers voters) that he brought? I was a minister; as I sit here, I can count what I brought as minister of state to Rivers. So, you were the main minister, of the lucrative ministry; what did you bring to Rivers? Not one thing, not one.
“Now they removed you. You now want to come and bring somebody as governor. It will not happen. Rivers’ people will not take it. We won’t agree. God has been on our side and I know God will continue to be on our side.”
Wike stated that the PDP governorship candidate, Fubara is sure to succeed him and that other parties in line to contest against him were engaging in an exercise in futility.
The governor said, “It is certain Fubara is the next governor. He is taking over from me. It is PDP that will win the state. All who want to run in other parties I wish them bad luck. I don’t understand why they would want to waste their money on running for governorship in this state. What will they tell the people?
On the latest Julius Berger contracts against the limited time left in his administration, Wike reiterated that he would transfer no liability to his successor either in shape of debt on loans taken by his administration or uncompleted projects.
He charged the contractor to ensure it completed the projects on schedule on the assurance to complete payments with a monthly N2 billion release.
To the victorious Rivers United Football Club, Winners of the 2021/22 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), the governor announced a $20,000 cash reward and a Governor’s Medal Service Award (GMSA) for every team member as well as a two weeks trip to Madrid, Spain for the team as part preparation for the CAF Champions League.
Wike assured the team to double the league victory’s cash reward for the Rivers United if the team In a swift reaction, Amaechi’s loyalist and publicity secretary of the APC in the state, Senibo Chris Finebone, said contrary to the claims by Wike, his boss attracted laudable projects to the state.
He told LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt yesterday via the telephone, that Amaechi was instrumental to the siting of the deep sea project in Bonny as well as the completion of the turn-around maintenance of the Port Harcourt International Airport.
He said, “That is not true; there are so many projects Amaechi attracted to Rivers State as Minister. One of them is the Bonny Deep Sea Port by the APC-led federal government and preliminary work has started.
“That is the first deep sea port in Nigeria; that is a major project. It was when he the Supervising Minister of Aviation, that the Port Harcourt Airport turn-around was completed.
“The Bodo-Bonny Road project was restarted after Amaechi joined the APC and that is why that road is seeing the light of the day. So, somehow, you will attribute that to him.”
The APC spokesman challenge Wike to present the projects he attracted to the state while serving as a member of the Federal Executive Council.
Finebone said: Now, the question I am asking on behalf of APC is what did Wike attract to Rivers State when he was Minister of State and later Supervising Minister? Nothing!”
