…Describes governor’s ceaseless but unsubstantiated allegations, verbal attacks on Amaechi as childish
… Lists over 18 federal projects Amaechi so far brought to Rivers as Minister that should cause Wike to resign if he still had any integrity
…With this Eze gives Wike 2 weeks to resign or face editorial series on his lies and political dishonesty that will explode in his face
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has again, given a sharp retort and squarely discredited claims by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, that Nigeria’s Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has failed to attract a project to the state, as a cabinet member of the Buhari/APC government since the administration came onboard in 2015.
The Governor who spoke in a reception organized to formally receive a former Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Ibiamu Davies Ikanya and others, into the People’s Democratic Party, vowed to put in his resignation should the Minister name a federal project he has attracted to Rivers State since he assumed office.
Wike also alleged that Amaechi claimed he sold a Dash 8 aircraft purchased by former Governor, Dr. Peter Odili administration, to the Government of Cross River at the cost of $6million, but failed to account for the proceeds of the transaction.
The very controversial Rivers Governor had equally claimed to have attracted many projects to Rivers State while he served as Minister of State for Education under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
But reacting to the irking gasconade, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze said the Governor’s sense of ratiocination may have been grossly impaired by his unreasonable fancy for aqua vitae and warned of a possible deterioration of his cognitive orientation and public mannerism, even as he continues to slip deeper and deeper into the bottles.
It would be recalled that Gov. Wike had made similar vow; sometime in 2020, staking his position as Governor and in reply Eze listed over 13 projects to counter his bunkum, but in his usual carriage, he still continue to parade himself as the Governor of Rivers State, yet to put in his resignation.
In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, the party chief described Wike’s comment as the delirious rant and rave of a man whose sense of fair judgment has been obscured by his very hostile and tendentious opinion laced with habitual hatred against the Minister of Transportation.
Although the comment is lacking apparent gravitational pull to qualify for a response, coming from an avowed incorrigible bigot who has not entertained any new thought in years, Eze said a response was necessary to assuage the minds of those who may have been attracted by his venomous outrage.
“For sometime now, I have stopped making any comment on how Governor Nyesom Wike administers Rivers State but the more I resolve to keep quiet the more the Governor continues to act in such a manner unbecoming of a State Governor and to keep quiet under such an environment is not in my character”. Eze said.
On the Governor’s allegation that Amaechi sold a Dash 8 aircraft purchased by former Governor, Dr. Peter Odili administration, to the Government of Cross River at the cost of $6million, but failed to account for the proceeds of the transaction, the party Chief said such comment is utterly misguided and unfortunate, coming from a man who was an Aide and a key player in Amaechi’s government.
Eze pointed out that Wike is feigning ignorance of the facts of the matter in a bid to justify his unending malicious schemes and satanic artifices against his benefactor Amaechi.
Putting the records straight, Chief Eze said it beats one’s imagination to learn that Wike appears to have forgotten that Amaechi sold the Dash 8 Aircraft purchased by Dr. Odili to complete funds to acquire the Bombardier local man which he (Wike) has been using since 2015.
He called on the Governor to leave Amaechi for once and focus a bit on governance and strive to receive sense to address the myriad of challenges facing the State, adding that trying to compare himself with Amaechi is a dream far from reality.
“Let me once again bring to the public some of the projects that Amaechi have influenced to Rivers State which I know that Wike will gloss over and continue shamelessly to parade himself as the Governor of Rivers State contrary to his threat to resign if Amaechi can name a single project he has attracted to the State.” The party chief stated.
On projects attracted to Rivers State by Amaechi Eze said:
1. The fact still remains that Amaechi pushed for the construction of the 39km Bonny Bodo road and it’s two creek bridges including the bridge over Opobo channel at a whopping sum of 120 billion naira. This gigantic bridge is comparable only to the 2nd Niger bridge project.
2. The Port Harcourt International Airport that was described as one of the worst Airports in the entire world which renovation was frustrated by the PDP Government when Wike was a Minister stands today as one of the best Airports under Amaechi as substantive Minister of Transportation.
3. The Soku Oil well supported by Wike to be ceded to Bayelsa has been returned to Rivers State.
4. The Ogoni Cleanup exercise which was described as impossible by the PDP administration where Wike served as junior Minister is currently in progress.
5. With the influence of Amaechi, the East West Road abandoned by the PDP administration is currently ongoing and will soon be completed.
6. Under Amaechi as the best Minister of the decade, Cargo ships now berth in Onne Port, thereby increasing economic activities in the state, shoring up the state’s revenue and creating more employment for Rivers people. This clearly shows Amaechi is not resting on his oars.
7. The Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail line which is being negotiated shows Amaechi is bringing development home.
8. The Calabar through Port Harcourt to Lagos rail line will soon commence.
9. Amaechi as the Minister of Transposition influenced the setting up of the Maritime University in Oron, where many Rivers sons and daughters are already employed and engaged.
10. He Influenced the setting up of the Naval Intelligence and Logistics College at Ubima.
11. Bonny and Warri deep sea ports have been approved.
12. The Ajaojuta- Itakpe- Warri rail line covering about 320km and cutting across the entire Niger Delta was commissioned in 2020, with hundreds of Rivers State sons and daughters employed. Both the Delta, Edo Governors including the President were full of praises for the tenacity and administrative prowess of Amaechi in achieving the feat.
13. Amaechi as Transportation Minister has dredged the channels and today the Port Harcourt port is alive. Meraks shipping can confirm that cargo landing at PH has increased by 50%. If Wike has eyes he should have seen that trucks queuing for containers are now stretching to the Rivers State Govt House.
14. Amaechi has influenced human capital development through appointment and employment of hundreds of Rivers State sons and daughters into various Federal Establishments though Wike never believe in human capital development so this to him is not an attractive project.
15. Amaechi in collaboration with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, President Buhari and others influenced the ongoing rehabilitation of the moribund Port Harcourt Refinery which Wike in conjunction with others abandoned during their inglorious regime.
16, 17.& 18 Eze added that apart from the above feats, that almost six years after Amaechi left Rivers State as governor, he is still vomiting money for the state, by facilitating the refund of N79 billion to Rivers State from federal projects executed by Amaechi and Peter Odili’s administrations, the release of $400 million for work in Ogoni under the clean up exercise, among others including the flyovers, roads and others projects that Wike may have used the largesse which Amaechi saved and resent to Rivers State.
Eze said Wike is one Governor who has failed in all indexes of performance and thus, he knows nothing about development and related terms in government.
With the listing of over 17 federal projects that Amaechi brought to Rivers as Minister one expects Wike as a matter of urgency to address the public and put in his resignation letter if he still had any integrity. With this Eze gives Wike 2 weeks to resign or face editorial series on his lies and political dishonesty that will explode in his face.