Following the defection by some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Governor Nyesom Wike has stated that such people after riding on the back of the party to power have proven that they are treacherous, and lack conscience and cannot be trusted. This was disclosed by Special assistant (media) to the governor, Kelvin Ebiri, stating that it is ludicrous and hypocritical of the APC to demonize the PDP and still turn around to poach members of the same party. He said, People who could no win ordinary election. The party used technicality and went to court and got victory. Now, they say they are leaving the party. Hopeless, shameless human beings. People who have no conscience. Governor Wike maintained that no amount of blackmail or intimidation can make him leave PDP, saying, Bring everything you have against me, I will not join you. Rivers state will not join you. Even if it is only Rivers state in this country, we will continue to be Peoples Democratic Party. Also, the governor responded to the former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, for saying that the federal government had paid the Rivers state government the sum of N78 billion as a refund for federal projects done by the state. In his response, Governor Wike said, I didn’t know he (Peterside) does not understand what they call promissory note. N78 billion was not backed up by cash by the Federal government. N78 billion was approved by Federal government, but not in cash. And so the bank has to come in to take it and discount it, because federal government is going to pay them back in the next four years. What Rivers state government got was N52 Billion out of N78 Billion. But, in principle, N78 Billion was approved, but was there any cash? No cash to back it up. He stated it was disingenuous for Peterside to deny his administration's glaring infrastructural achievements, such as construction of nine flyovers, schools, hospitals, roads, cassava processing factory among others, adding that under the previous administration in which Peterside served as Commissioner for Works contractors were compelled to pay bride and ironically starved of funds. This is why projects like the Rebesi-Trans-Amadi-Elelenwo road awarded to RCC, was abandoned by the previous government and he had to complete it. We signed an undertaking with them by giving them (RCC) an Irrevocable Payment Standing Order of collecting N1 billion every month from us. We paid RCC not less than N17 billion to complete that road. It was not awarded by us. It was the previous administration, they awarded the job and took away their profit and that project was left like that, he said. The governor further dared Peterside to declare what the state benefitted during his reign in NIMASA.
Post a Comment