Stop Your Hostility, Allow Rivers To Move Forward In Peace, Wike Tells Amaechi

Wike, who made the remark on Thursday, while speaking at the opening of a retreat for top government officials in the state, urged his predecessor to give way for the state government to concentrate on rebuilding the state.

Governor Wike pointed out that his administration had deployed resources and expertise to correct the failures of Amaechi’s 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. ”

“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 realised 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.

READ ALSO: Panama Papers – Former Senate President, David Mark Dissociates Self

“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. ”

“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,” Wike added.