APC chieftain blasts Wike over comments against the party
One of the chieftains of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former National Publicity Secretary, of defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that Governor Wike’s constant attack on the APC-led government is shameful, noting that the governor used his time as minister to connive against the development of the South-South region.
He made this known in a press statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, noting that although criticism may not be agreeable, it is necessary.
However, he stressed that critique from Governor Wike is a reverse of the case as he described him as a “busybody, grossly lacking intellectual acuity.”
“In the words of Winston Churchill, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
“And according to Frank A. Clark, “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.
“A closer look at the two quotes above will reveal that one striking similarity between them is that they agree that criticism is not a bad idea, not an act of ill-will, but a great deal in tackling undesirable events with the view to restoring sanity in society especially, when done constructively.
“The reverse will however be the case where the critic is a busybody, grossly lacking intellectual acuity as is the case with Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.” he said
Chief Eze accused the governor of wrongly asserting that the Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has done nothing to ensure the optimal functionality of the Port Harcourt and Onne Ports for the Rivers people.
He described the claim as baseless and untrue, noting that nothing can be more “inept and clueless than a noisy Governor with severe sensory epilepsy whose crass laziness in the business of government has thrown Rivers fifty (50) years back within the space of six (6) years.”
The party chief said the Governor’s assertion cannot be endorsed as it has been discarded by the weight of available evidence against it.
He accused Governor Wike of feigning ignorance and being dishonest while describing his emergence as Governor as one of the worst things that happened to Rivers State.
Chief Eze criticized Gov. Wike for using every opportunity he gets to castigate key figures of the APC like he did while speaking at Eleme, during the commissioning of Community school in the LGA.
He noted that the governor tried to undermine the capacity of Ambassador Oji N. Ngofa, whose model of politics, he said is totally progressive and superior to the governor’s local trick.
“For him to describe the office of an Ambassador as useless and of no value to any community clearly indicates that something big is wrong with Wike.
“Must Wike make a blunder at every given event?” he asked
Chief Eze said Ambassador Ngofa stands out as a political nightmare to Governor Wike and his trifling pettiness, noting that with Ngofa, Eleme has remained one of the LGAs where election thieves have continuously tried but failed to spread their tentacles.
“Attempting to castigate such a grass-root and people-friendly figure for a mere renovated Community Secondary School is an attempt in futility as the youths and great minds of Eleme are aware of who their true leaders are.”
Chief Eze said Ngofa’s response as captured below serves better to address the Governor’s mediocrity in a society as enlightened as Rivers State;
“…I’m scandalised that the Governor of Rivers State demonstrates such a crass display of unenlightenment about the work of an Ambassador. Gov. Wike believes that every political appointment must give access to his well known voracious appetite for money and covetousness.
“I’m not surprised that his mediocre performance as Governor is a reflection of his lack of knowledge and adequate information on Good governance.
“He revels in mediocrity and infantile populism. Eleme people are wiser than Wike thinks and we do not tolerate empty political hubris.
“He would have assessed me by my performance as the longest-serving Local Government Chairman of Eleme LGA and not as an Ambassador which clearly is beyond his comprehension. Eleme is the bastion of APC in Rivers State and no amount of political chicanery can change that.
“I will strongly advise the Governor to read up on subject matters He does not understand before making public utterances. His poor grasp of issues is unbecoming of Governor of a sophisticated state like Rivers State.”
Chief Eze commending the APC led Government for its determination in tackling most of the key projects in South-South, appealed to President Buhari to forgive Governor Wike, who he described as one who displays a poverty of the mind.
Refuting Wike’s claim, Eze said the Train 7 project which former President Goodluck Jonathan, under whose administration he, Governor Wike had served as a Junior Minister, has been flagged off by President Buhari.
He noted that the Train 7 project, guarantees a $10Bn fresh injection of investment into the economy and will take 52,000 job seekers off the labor market.
He stated that Governor Wike refused to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the project but preferred to go for street commissioning.
Chief Eze highlighted that when Amaechi was Governor, he always said that the then MD of NLNG came to him as Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum and pleaded with him to beg President Jonathan to allow Train 7 to become actualized.
He further noted that Amaechi had expressed that he was shocked how the then President who was that time his ally told him no way, Brass NLNG first. At last, neither Brass nor Train 7 made it. Plus many other deprivations.
Chief Eze added that the accurate account of the CEO of NLNG Bonny adds credence to this position, as he had first-hand knowledge of what transpired at that time.
“It was obvious that GEJ and his petroleum Minister, Diezani, had decided that there would be no NLNG Train 7 if investors wouldn’t invest and get Brass LNG off the ground. The NLNG Board led by Chief Dr. Long-John felt a political solution was necessary at that point because all obligations had been met by all stakeholders.
“There was no reason for withholding the presidential nod for the project. The Chief decided to fall back on his very cordial relationship with Amaechi (Governor of Rivers State & NLNG landlord) to ask the latter to intervene. Amaechi gladly obliged them.
“They got to Diezani then the Minister of Petroleum first and she wasn’t clear with her response but rather asked them to see the C-in-C himself. At that point, they sensed all wasn’t well.
“Amaechi led Chief Long-John and his Board to President Jonathan on a fine afternoon. In the end, President Jonathan opened up to Amaechi in a jocular fashion laughing.
“Amaechi, let those investors help invest in Brass NLG first.” That line by Jonathan ended the meeting. Everyone went home. NLNG Train 7 got thrown under the bus until now president Buhari just breathed life back into that project that will create 12,000 direct jobs and over 40,000 indirect jobs.
