Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze says Wike has continued to stick in limbo, genuine development efforts targeted at leveraging handy opportunities to transform Rivers State into an ambitious economic hub for the rest of Africa.
According to the APC Chief, while other state governments are striving to put measures in place to ensure the yearnings of their people are met, especially given the bad economic situation of the country, Rivers State is rather plummeting in an unnecessary brawl of superiority on the prompting of the FCT Minister who is banking on the support from the Presidency.
Around October of 2023, the multi-billion naira Rivers State House of Assembly complex was razed by fire and it was alleged that some suspected arsonists loyal to the FCT Minister threw an explosive into the complex around 9.25pm. It was noted that the incident came as a result of alleged plot to cow the President to declare a state of emergency on alleged footing that the state is enmeshed in violent crisis that has overwhelmed the security architecture. Today, the state government has committed to rebuild the complex with a whole lot of money. Money that would have been channeled to other meaningful venture that would be beneficial to the people had there been peace.
In a statement made available to the media, Eze said Economists have revealed through in-depth research that Rivers state have lost public sector investments worth over N2 trillion as a result of endless political crisis. That figure is different from the cumulative effect of the raw figures that has been denied the oil-rich state, and the impact the projects would have made on the local economy and the state GDP.
He said whereas Lagos State is taking bond after bond, Rivers State is resorting to loans repayment from commercial banks by the immediate past administration which had nothing to show for the borrowed money.
During Amaechi’ tenure as Governor, Eze recalled that the state was entitled to N375bn (or $250m) World Bank water project that was to transform Port Harcourt into a modern city. Everything was said to be done but the office of the Minister of Finance that was to sign off for its drawdown was allegedly prevented from signing it under Goodluck Jonathan on the prompting of the same Wike who was then a Minister.
“That young man is averse to the development of Rivers State. I can tell you for free. To day Port Harcourt has remained a borehole city.”
Another project was the plan to develop the state capital into a fast-moving transport system known as Monorail with about N250bn with over N20bn already spent by the state government and with most trunks of coaches said to already be at the Onne Port. The project was abandoned when Wike came to power.
Amaechi conceptualized an idea to create an agro-village in Etche LGA in partnership with LR of Israel, the design was there talks for finding had reached advanced stage but the moment Amaechi left office, the project died a sudden death. It was meant to create an integrated agric system in Rivers State.
What about the Rivers Songhai Farm Initiative (RSFI) which was 20 times the size of the original copy in Benin Republic. That project gulped gulped over N3.6bn and was put for acquisition because it was becoming very viable. John Deer of California was said to have emerged preferred bidder. They were said to have planned to use Rivers as centre for their tractor manufacturing business to target West Africa, but they delayed sealing the deal waiting for the 2015 succession period to see how Rivers State would play. Songhai would have been a Songhai integrated farm centre for Africa as well as tractor and farm implementation automation centre. The Wike politics killed it.
All of these projects are what Gov. Fubara have in mind to revive, but Wike has continued to use crisis to distract the young man and the President can not call him to order.
So, part of the economic consequences of the crisis is the delay in reviving these economically viable projects that would create jobs and put food on the tables of Rivers people especially during this season of economic drought.
“Chief Eze further states that regardless of the fact that they have lost their seats and coupled with the ruling of a court directing the Attorney General inhibiting them from embarking on any deal in the name of the Rivers State House of Assembly, former Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and his group have continued to demonstrate willingness to continue to be used as tools to distract Gov. Siminialayi Fubara, with assurances of support from the Presidency.
Martins Amaewhule and his jobless co-travellers in their new capacity as intakes of Nollywood (Africa Magic) have, in a bid to continue to perpetuate the crisis at the pleasure of the FCT Minister, gone to the extent of using the name of the Rivers State House of Assembly to draft a letter allegedly stopping Gov. Fubara from accessing funds to manage the state.
Describing the action as the height of impunity, Eze said it has become expedient to invite the Nigerian Police to wade into the political exuberance of Amaewhule and co who are falsely impersonating the Rivers State legislature in the pursuit of the private, selfish interest of the FCT Minister who obviously does not mean well for the state and her people.
