Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says Nigerians are
disappointed with the National Assembly for confirming sacked Service
Chiefs as ambassadors.
The governor related the disappointment of Nigerians to members of the
Senate Committee on Niger Delta when they paid courtesy visit to him at
Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Governor Wike wondered why Senators who agreed with Nigerians when they
decried the poor performance of the Service Chiefs will sit to cleared
them for another appointment.
“Let me use this opportunity to express the dismay of most Nigerians to
the Senate. Convey this to the Senate. We must be courageous in whatever
we are doing. Everything must not be party affairs. You (Senators) sat
and discussed that they should dismiss the service chiefs. You said
they’re not performing.
“Now the same people who were not performing, you have confirmed them as
ambassadors. What kind of country are we?
“In anything we do, we must remember that there is tomorrow; our
conscience is key. It’s not because I want to be a loyalist to a party.
No. There are things you cannot reconcile at all.”
Speaking about the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Governor
Wike said the commission has abandoned its core mandate and leaving
those who canvassed for its establishment disillusioned.
“I don’t like talking about NDDC. It is unfortunate that those who
fought for it, if they knew that this is how NDDC will be, I don’t think
that they would have even asked for it.”
He noted that over the years various National Assembly committees on
NDDC have not provided sufficient direction that will make the
commission focus on its core mandate of developing the region.
Governor Wike said some politicians have transformed the NDDC into a
cash cow for the prosecution of sinister political agenda. To buttress
this, he accused the commission spending N10 billion to unseat him from
office, but the scheme failed.
The Governor urged Committee’s leadership to prevail on the management
of the NDDC to embark on legacy infrastructural projects such as the
eight flyover being constructed by the Rivers State government, and not
to waste resources on doing 50 or 100 meter roads.
“You, as the Senate Committee Chairman, and that of the House Committee,
you’re from the region too. You are supervising NDDC, so why not sit
down with them to know what are the legacy projects that they want to
carry out this year in the Niger Delta States. Tell them these are
projects they must make sure first are being done.
“Rather than do that, you allow them do 50 or 100 meters road or a close
that leads to someone’s house. What’s their business there?
The governor accused the presidency, the National Assembly and the
ruling party for the gross inefficiency of the NDDC.
“The National Assembly is part of the problem of NDDC . The presidency
is part of the problem of NDDC and the party in power is part of the
problem of NDDC, whichever party it is. They don’t allow NDDC to
perform. We too in Niger Delta are not allowing them to perform. We are
enemies to ourselves.”
He noted how the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) refused to
endorsed the amendment of the Electoral Act for fear that they will
lose the 2019 General Election when it was the best thing to do for the
country.
The governor also expressed his displeasure over a Senator who
overstepped his immunity during plenary to demean a serving governor by
calling him a drunk.
In his speech, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator
Peter Nwaoboshi said they visited to assure Governor Wike, as the host
of NDDC, that the commission will be supervised to perform within its
core mandate.
“As a committee, we are aware that you have some reservation with the
NDDC based on your state’s previous relationship with them. We have come
to assure you that with the people you have seen here, who are
patriotic Nigerians, that we will make sure that the aspirations and the
aim of creating the NDDC will be achieved.
“We will do everything that is possible within the limits of the
constitution through our oversight functions for them to achieve their
objectives.”
Senator Nwaoboshi also commended the governor for having done well in
providing security in Rivers State with NDDC benefiting from it.
He noted that Governor Wike has become the strongest voice that have
continued to speak truth to power at the risk of his political career.
“We say without fear of contradiction that you are the strongest voice
in the Niger Delta Region. You have always been courageous even at the
risk of your political career to speak the truth to power.
“You have also advanced the interest of the people of Niger Delta. That
is why anybody visiting Niger Delta will have nothing but to come and
see that courageous man that is bestriding the area like a colossus.”