The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the state governor, Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike against stirring indigenes provocatively on the proposed visit of the President Muhammadu Buhari to the state.

According to the Party, Governor Wike’s statement titled “Buhari’s visit to Rivers will not revive dead APC in the State”, attempted to incite the Rivers State people against their President by insinuating that the President abandoned the State since he assumed office. Citing some portions of the said press statement, APC insisted that it is provoking, uncouth and unacceptable and should be withdrawn as a matter of urgency “as we will not for any reason risk the life of our dear President in the hands of governor Wike and his misguided cohorts.”

A release by APC State Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, signed by his Media Consultant, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, stated that the leadership of Rivers State APC has counseled itself not to react to most of the unfortunate and misguided innuendos usually credited to governor Wike “as the party is not so sure of the soundness of his mind,” but noted that “attacking and using uncouth words on President Muhammadu Buhari, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not a comment the party can sweep under the carpet.”

The party warned Wike that the President’s visit is not the same as the visit of some Northern governors that visited Port Harcourt in 2014 to sympathise with their colleague the then governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi over the wicked humiliation he suffered in the hands of Wike and his collaborators. The party recalled with nostalgia how Wike then State Minister of Education ordered his militia group, the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI) to attack these governors in 2014. The party warns that incase Wike is nursing similar thought against President Buhari during his visit, he should bury it before it germinates as the scenario is no longer the same as that of 2014.

The party stated: “Our fear is not misplaced as we all know the type of politics associated with Wike – politics of violence but we wish to reiterate that no harm should be visited either on our President or any member of his delegates for any reason whatsoever during the said visit”.

The party noted that the visit of Mr. President is to commiserate with the people of Omoku in Onelga for the sad and unfortunate killings of their loved ones during the new year massacre by some associates of governor Wike and not to come and commission motor parks and markets as projects allegedly claimed to have been constructed by governor Wike.

On the false allegation that President Buhari abandoned Rivers State since he assumed office, the party reiterated that the present federal government has not and will not abandon the state knowing very well the risks that most of them took to get him elected even at the risk of their lives in the hands of Wike and his collaborators.

The party affirmed this by stating that President Buhari has visited Rivers State on four remarkable occasions through Vice President Yemi Osibanjo to either establish a peace pact in Niger Delta region, commission or flag off key projects in Rivers State and for Gov Wike because of politics to turn around to accuse President Buhari of abandoning Rivers State is unacceptable, wicked, evil, divisive and exhibition of ingratitude to a man who have done much to develop Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.

“For avoidance of doubt, the party recalled that Prof Yemi Osibanjo with the express approval of President Buhari visited Rivers State to kick-start the Ogoni cleanup exercise abandoned by the PDP government with the connivance of governor Wike; visited Rivers State to kick start the Bonny-Bodo road and was in Rivers State in another occasion to inaugurate the world-class fertilizer plant built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, in Port Harcourt among other visits.

“Gov. Wike forgot so soon that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a son of the region in his six years as the President of Nigeria acknowledged that he failed Rivers State and the Niger Delta region by not embarking on any meaningful project in the region apart from imposing him, Wike as the governor of Rivers State to promote insecurity in the State and the region,” the statement said.

The party stated that the APC led FG under President Buhari has proved within less than three years that APC has the best interest of the State and region at heart by the various interventions the federal government has embarked upon in the region within the last three years:

The party recalled that the Buhari administration released a whopping sum of N900 billion owed the Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) by previous federal administrations including the administration of Dr. Jonathan to assist the body complete most of her projects in Rivers State and other States in the Niger Delta region.

“Rivers State will benefit from the unprecedented allocation of over one hundred and twenty five billion Naira (N125b) out of the N8.612 trillion appropriation bill, presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 to the National Assembly to fund capital projects in 2018 in the Niger Delta region.

“Rivers State will surely benefit from the N53.89 billion earmarked for Niger Delta Ministry and N71.2 billion for Niger Delta Development Commission for capital projects, also to benefit from the budgetary allocation for the Niger Delta amnesty programme retained at N65 billion with the budgetary allocation of N17.32 billion earmarked for the completion of the East-West Road.

“Rivers State will benefit from the Maritime University located at Okerenkoko in Delta State with N5bn budgeted in the 2018 budget for its formal take off. This is a university aimed at to assist in the development and emancipation of the Niger Delta region

“To demonstrate the seriousness over the full implementation of the Ogoni clean-up exercise and the execution of the Multi-Billion Naira Bomu-Bonny road project budgetary provisions were all made in the 2018 budget which when completed would open up the economic potentials of the Niger Delta Region beyond the shores of Nigeria all in Rivers State,” the statement affirmed.

Also, it said that “the APC-led Federal Government apart from above named projects, embarked upon the following projects - the Calabar – Lagos Rail Line that cuts across the State, the renovation/reconstruction of both Enugu – Port Harcourt and the West-East Road, the renovation of the Afam Power plant in Rivers State, resumption of work on the Port Harcourt International Airport, renovation and reconstruction of the Enugu – Port Harcourt Rail Line, among other projects all these projects that were abandoned by the PDP governments.”

It stated that the Rivers State people should call Wike to order and ask him to explain how President Buhari has abandoned the State while embarking upon all these named projects.

Rivers APC quoted part of Wike’s statement, “Maybe the President is coming to make sure that he will improve the fortunes of the APC that is dead in Rivers State. Apart from Jesus Christ, we don’t know of anyone who has raised a dead thing. APC is a dead party in Rivers State. No matter how you fast and pray, it will never wake up.” The party described it as laughable “because a party with two Senators (Senator Abe and Senator Uchendu) to Wike’s dying party (PDP) one sleeping Senator, can’t be said to be a dead party in Rivers state unless he was misquoted.”

Rivers APC expressed joy that Wike by today is the chief campaign officer of APC for the 2019 general elections based on his wicked policies against the youths, students, civil servants, pensioners and foreign investors in the state; “though we are sad over Wike’s lack of good policies to improve the lots of our people but we will ensure that he is voted out come 2019 unfailingly to enable us enthrone a government that will be ready to work for the people of Rivers State,” the statement declared.

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