Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has taken a swipe at the former Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, over his recent comments about the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the State.
Wike said the former Minister is a self-seeking politician who has been unable to attract a democratic dividend and does not fill such a leadership position to speak on behalf of the State.
The governor spoke during the inauguration of 319 Ward and 32 Constituency Liaison Officers in Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
In a statement issued by Kelvin Ebiri, the governor’s Special Assistant on Media quoted Wike as saying, “I watched a video when one Dr. Abiye Sekibo, while he was addressing people in his house yesterday (Sunday), said he is the director of Atiku’s Supporters in Rivers. I have no problem about that. But he does not have the capacity to speak on behalf of Rivers State.
“In that video, he said that River State has been having a close relationship with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that Rivers State has always benefitted from Atiku Abubakar. I want to correct one impression, Dr. Abiye Sekibo has a personal relationship with Alhaji Atiku, not Rivers State.
“Dr. Abiye Sekibo was Minister of Transport when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the Vice president of Nigeria. Can you people mention one project in Okrika, in Ogu/Bolo, I don’t even want to talk about Rivers State, that he brought?”
The Rivers State governor said leadership was not about personal aggrandisement, but serving the people, protecting their interests while building up others as competent successors.
He noted that people like Dr. Sekibo were among those who are never satisfied with the fortunes they have enjoyed in life, otherwise, he should have been silent in the public sphere for his failure in leadership.
“I was a Minister, junior Minister in that matter. But I am proud to say anywhere I go in this State (Rivers), I brought a dividend of democracy to Rivers State.
“As a junior Minister, I brought the Oil and Gas Polytechnic to Rivers State that is sited in Bonny. There was no Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt since the creation of that institution, but I brought it.
“As a Minister, I made sure Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, even if they are State institutions, I made sure they got grants of N500M each.”
Wike mentioned his several educational interventions at the primary-secondary school levels, which depict what true leadership should be.
The governor stressed that Dr. Abiye Sekibo as Secretary to the Rivers State government did not also execute any project of note in Okrika. While he, as Chief of Staff, delivered several road projects in Rumuepirikom.
Wike also listed a number of projects his administration awarded that are handled by Dr. Sekibo, which today, in Sekibo’s estimation has become something wrong.
He disclosed that the N2.1 billion Okrika sand-filling project and 2 Billion Okochiri internal road, for which the sum of N1. 3 billion and N1.6 Billion have been paid respectively, were awarded to Dr. Sekibo including the N1.4 Billion contract for the Okujaku Street, Danjuma Drive in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt.
He urged the Constituency and Ward Liaison Officers to do their work in getting reports on the feelings and expectations of the people about his administration’s performance.
The governor noted that it is not too late to make amends should there be such a need to do so in response to the aspirations of Rivers people.
“Your business, those of you who are liaison officers, is to co-ordinate the Special Assistants who will give you feedback of what the people at the unit levels are talking about us; where they want us to go; are doing well politically, whether are we doing well in the economy?
“What are the things they expect that we should be doing that we are not doing so that we can make amends? It is not too late to make amends.”
Governor Wike declared that PDP governorship candidates, all the House of Representatives, Senate, and State House of Assembly will win in the 2023 general elections. He, however, disclosed that the State is yet to determine what to do concerning the presidential election.
“PDP will win our State. I am not hiding it as far as the governorship, House of Reps, Senate, and State Assembly are concerned. The other one we have not decided until the right thing is done.”
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