Nwaorgu Faustinus
With the trouncing of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in the governorship election in Ondo State Saturday, the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, is asking the governor of Rivers State to immediately retrieve and return the sum of N2bn of Rivers money he donated to the Ondo State branch of the PDP.
Making the demand Sunday afternoon was the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senibo Chris Finebone while addressing APC supporters in Port Harcourt shortly after the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Chief Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC as the winner of the 2016 Ondo governorship election.
“It is unfortunate that Gov. Nyesom Wike is still playing Father Christmas with the commonwealth of Rivers people for his personal egoistic political voyage despite that the governor has cancelled hundreds of overseas scholarships and the students repatriated home among other important programmes. Agriculture is in its worst state since Rivers State was created. Songhai Farm is gone; the Banana Farm at Tai is gone; RSSDA is now a ghost of its former self with the staff owed 17 months salaries. The various fish farms at Buguma, Andoni and other places that provided jobs for thousands of Rivers people are now history.
“It saddens the heart that our governor prefers to neglect important matters calling for attention at home but rather lavish our commonwealth on his personal political pursuits. Can you imagine that Gov. Nyesom Wike willingly donated a whopping N2bn to the Ondo State chapter of the PDP? It is horrible, mind-boggling and indefensible.
“Just like in the case of Edo, the PDP has lost and the governor should not wait to be reminded to return the N2bn back to the treasury of Rivers State immediately,” Finebone demanded.
Continuing, the APC Spokesman lambasted the governor for wasting the resources of the people on matters concerning the PDP rather than concentrate on frugally applying the state’s resources to the needs of the people of Rivers State.
“Whereas the PDP has states like Akwa Ibom and Delta that collect high monthly federal allocations, it is only Gov. Wike that plays the party’s godfather. So far, he has wasted billions of Naira hosting two failed national conventions of the PDP in Port Harcourt. He has profligately donated billions of Naira belonging to Rivers people to faraway Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo PDP chapters for purposes of elections while medical workers, pensioners and teachers are owed back home.
“Is it that Rivers State has been conquered by a small band of buccaneers led by Gov Wike and genuine elders are keeping quiet?” Finebone queried.
The APC Spokesman warned that if the governor did not return the N2bn he gave out to Ondo PDP, he will be forced to do so at the appropriate time.
