Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has hit out at his former boss, Mr Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi , accusing him of failing to bring any infrastructure project to the state despite being a member of the federal cabinet for seven years.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned he said this during the inauguration of the reconstructed former Riv Bank Insurance building in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday. Wike alleged that his predecessor, who served as Minister of Transportation, failed to attract any meaningful project to the state in seven years.
Wike , who served as Amaechi’s Chief of Staff before getting appointed as Minister of State for Education, said ‘a man who has failed to attract projects to his state should hide his face in shame and stop talking about Rivers politics’.
Wike was reacting to the comments made by the former minister in respect of late Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, who was laid to rest a few days ago.
He had accused the Rivers State government of failing to give him a state burial .
‘We have taken all your people. Nobody is in your party again. Why not manage and stay quiet; because of your poor leadership.
Tell Rivers State people, as Minister of Transportation, what did you do for your people? We have not seen anything in Port Harcourt ’ he said.
Wike claimed that while serving as Minister of State for Education , he facilitated the Faculty of Law building project at the University of Port Harcourt, and also established the Oil and Gas Polytechnic in Bonny.
Grants were also according to him made available to Kenule Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic in Bori and Ignatius Ajuru University, while getting several secondary schools in Rivers state renovated.
‘Tell us, as a grade A minister, what you brought. You think you can deceive Rivers State again? he asked.
Wike said the State government stayed away from the burial activities because it was politicized adding that he did not want to be associated with such trivialities.
‘I saw you people have brought politics to the man’s burial. I said, ‘ok, let me withdraw myself. I don’t want to be involved in this kind of politics’ he said.
Wike added that if people had actually gone to bury the dead, they would have focused on that mission of honouring the dead.
‘Let me use this opportunity to say that I am very disappointed that the former minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will still come to the state to talk about this government not giving late Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas a state burial.
It is unfortunate. let us ask him, when Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was sick, where were you? This State government committed so much amount of money to making sure Chief Alabo survived. I want to challenge anybody, we did not spend less than N50m (Fifty Million Naira) to make sure our elder statesman survive. It was survival we wanted; we wanted him to be alive. When his late son had an accident, and was flown to London, this State government bore the cost. Go and ask people’ he added.
Wike also said Amaechi refused to honour the deceased while he was alive by refusing to grant his request that the Abonnema traditional stool be elevated to first class status and also construct the Abonnema ring road.
‘Amaechi, Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas told you, please, help me and do the ring road in Abonnema so that when we have occasion, we will not be parking on one road, you refused to do it. I did it.
When Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was alive, he told Amaechi, why not do this Trans-Kalabari Road? He did not do it. I am the one doing it. So, who is the man who loves Alabo and has made him happier?
That was how he pulled down our general hospital that he was going to build Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital. Justice Karibi Whyte died and he never saw one block you laid.
Before Elechi Amadi died, you said you were going to build Faculty of Humanities in his honour. That one, you tried to lay block, but you abandoned it. I came and completed that building project. Even when everybody knows you have interest in his family.
When Captain Elechi Amadi died, there was no road to his house for a man you said you love. I came and sent MCC to go and do that road. That road was done and that was how Captain Elechi Amadi was buried. So, you (Amaechi) should feel ashamed of yourself’ he submitted- Team@orientactualmags.com
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