The Rivers State polity was charged, yesterday, as Governor Nyesom Wike, again doubled his newly engaged Special Assistants, SAs, on Political Unit Affairs, which is expected to cost the state N42,000,000,000.

Wike, inaugurating the new SAs Batch 2 from Rivers East Senatorial District at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area, announced an increase from 100,000 to 200,000.

There were indications, yesterday, that the newly engaged 200,000 Units SAs are to receive a N30,000 monthly stipend while the wage for the 359 Constituency and Local Government Area Liaison Officers stays at N50,000.

This means that between now and May 29, 2023 when Wike’s tenure will lapse, Rivers will pay the appointees N42.127 billion.

The appointments elicited criticisms from the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Rescue Movement, NRM, and Niger Delta Peace Coalition among others.

Defending the development, the Governor said: “My mail box almost crashed. People are sending text messages saying ‘why are you leaving us alone, the job is too much. This number cannot do the work.

“Therefore, a lot of Rivers people are volunteering to be part of this work. And I can announce to you today, we have increased the number from 100,000 to 200,000," he said.

Wike directed all political leaders of the various Local Government Areas to return home to search out trustworthy folks they consider can help Rivers retain its prime position in the comity of states.

He said even if so much has been done, his administration is not taking its remaining time for granted, emphasizing that these SAs on Political Units Affairs were being engaged to help his administration finish well.

“It is me who is appointing. It is me who wears the shoe that knows where it pinches. It is not you outside because you are not part of government. I know what it takes and I know these people will help me. Now that I am finishing, I want to finish very well,” he stated.

Wike said the appointments fulfill his declaration on the day Rebids I Flyover was inaugurated that he would begin to implement his policy of stomach infrastructure, saying the engagement will put money in the pockets of Rivers people.

He reiterated the charge on them to, among other duties, interface with Rivers people to know what they are saying, their assessment of government projects and policies, whether positive or negative, and feedback to his office through the Constituency and Ward Liaison Officers.

The State Commissioner for Information, Chris Finebone, preempting likely public antagonism on the development said: “Hope we know the governor has not broken any law. I know that the frustrated opposition in Rivers State will twist this.

“But let me caution them. Frustration of opposition can really drive anyone to turn into an angry piece of bird but no one should allow that frustration turn them into a piece of bitterly angry bird,” he added.

However, the move received bashing from some stakeholders and opposition figures in the state.

Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Emeka Beke, described the appointment of 200,000 persons as Special Assistant on Political Units by Governor Wike as a show of executive rascality, adding that the governor was bereft of ideas.

Beke alleged that what the governor has done was a tactical way of buying off votes of those acclaimed SAs, adding that the APC would resist every attempt of vote buying in the state.

He regretted that the governor was spending tax payers’ money recklessly, alleging that Rivers was among the states in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s, watchlist.

Beke said: “I think the Governor is confused right now. He does not know what to do again. The governor is just displaying executive rascality.

“This is just a way he is restyling vote-buying. It is a way he wants to use to buy votes. You will also find out that Rivers State is one of the states that wants to pay salary by hand.

“It is pure recklessness for the governor to use tax payers’ money to buy votes and we will resist every of these attempts,” he insisted.

To Zik Gbemre, Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition, what Wike did “is obvious vote buying with the so called SAs as polling units canvassers of vote in favour of Wike’s PDP guber candidate and other flag bearers of the party.

“But the Governor is driving the impunity with defensible tact. Whose relative of the almost 200400 beneficiaries including the Liaison Officers would speak against the offer?

“But then is there any incumbent governor who is not indulged in disguised vote buying ahead of the 2023 election? Even Federal Government, the Presidency, has been the most guilty.

“The Markets Trader Money Vice President Yemi Osibanjo has been sharing to APC faithful over the years, who doesn’t know it’s vote buying?” he added.

The National Rescue Movement, NRM, congratulated the 200,000 beneficiaries of the governor’s appointment, and advised them to feel free and enjoy the state’s commonwealth.

The Governorship Candidate of NRM in Rivers State, High Chief Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich, said the call was because the people have lived in deprivation since the inception of the administration.

Jackrich said: “As Rivers citizens, it is your right to benefit from the common wealth of the state, so without hesitation, feel free to enjoy all the benefits that come with the new appointment, having been living in deprivation for the past seven years.

“However, be weary of the caveat of the appointment, as it is an open secret that your PVCs which is your right to exercise your franchise at the polls were taken from you, alongside your bank details.

“Note that this is a deliberate attempt to use you as foot soldiers to install a stooge of the governor in the next political dispensation, in order to continue the status quo of non-accountable and anti-people style of leadership.

“Such a stooge will only owe his loyalty to his benefactor and not to the people of the state. And history will not judge you rightly if you are part of those to perpetrate such wickedness against Rivers people.

“Thus, we urge all citizens of the state to use their votes wisely to vote in a government that will be compassionate to meeting the needs of the state," he said.

Mr. Darlington Nwauju, Spokesman, Rivers APC, said the rapidly increasing number of engaged SAs on Political Unit by the Governor Wike is “a confirmation of the rate of joblessness in the state as documented by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. This is an indictment on the outgoing administration.”

He continued that: “That the Government of the day wakes up and announces it is appointing 50,000 persons as SAs on Political Unit, blowing up that figure to 200,000 within a week, aside 319 liaison officers and 40 LGA liaison officers, only goes to confirm the widely publicized state of astronomical unemployment in the state and exposes the absence of vision of the past seven years since government has failed to create opportunities to meaningfully engage the army of unemployed persons in the state.

“Among the questions begging answers for this knee-jerk politically-motivated decision is, will government fund these bogus appointments? Why is this exercise not done with recourse to Section 196 sub 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which covers the appointment of Special advisers? Where in the budget for 2022 is their stipends or salaries captured?" he asked

"This heavy deployment is a clear signal to violence disposition and an attempt at contravening the Electoral Act. How many pensionable jobs has been created since May 29, 2015 till date by the outgoing administration?

“We call on Rivers people to hold the state government to convert this political recruitment into befitting Pensionable Employments through the State Civil Service Commission rather than recruiting 50,000 or 100,000 innocent youths as mere seasonal political jobbers,” he said. (Vanguard)

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