The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has identified reckless spending and high endemic corruption of the public office holders, particularly, the executive (President, governors and local government chairman), as being responsible for the nation’s underdevelopment.
Wike stated this during the official commissioning of the new Rivers State House of Assembly quarters.
His words, “If every public office holder particularly the executive can account for the money we have gotten Nigeria will not be like this. We need direction to move this country forward.”
Wike further revealed unholy relationship between the legislative and executive arms of government, establishing that members of the National Assembly makes financial and other demands in course of discharging their statutory responsibilities.
Lauding the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila for helping Rivers State to secure Paris Club refund from the Federal Government, Wike said, “I invited you here as a man who supported me to get the money so that you don’t say the money I help you to get, what did you do with it. I invited you here tocome and see what I use the money to do. I don’t invite you because you are APC member. I invited you because of the role you played for Rivers state to get their money. And I said come and see what I have done with part of that money. I was one of the last state that Federal Government refunded money of the Paris club. Nobody wanted to give me because they I am outspoken, they say I am fighting for PDP but when eventually through Aba Kyari did everything with Fashola, minister of work came to you, you called me and said my brother I will help you, even though people opposed, I will help you. You never demanded a dime from me. Never, never.”
The Governor also confessed how he and the PDP members plotted against the aspiration of Gbajabiamila to become the speaker and Lawal from becoming the Senate President.
He confessed, “I was one who plotted that you should not be the speaker of the House of Representatives. I have no regret because my business is not to help your party that time even now. My business is to make you people uncomfortable. It was in Rivers State Government House in Abuja when we plotted you should not go. We plotted. PDP people, governors sold me out. They supported you. Even when we have agreed as a party that Femi Gbajabiamila should not go, Lawal should not go, they went back and supported you. And that was when you made Elumele a minority leader. You disregarded our party letter that Elumelu should not be made minority leader and made him the minority leader.They are those who sold PDP, the truth must be told at all time. If I see another way to plot, I will plot against you because you are in a different party with me. Everything that will make you not to be comfortable is my business as opposition.”
“But you are a good man. One day you called me and told me that I always oppose you and you asked me if I have a name. I asked, which name? You said there was an appointment and asked me to send a name of whom I will want to take the appointment. You said give me a name. I said me, are you sure? You said just give me a name. I gave you, the person was appointed”, he added.
Wike further revealed how the political elites in the South South supported President Muhammadu Buhari to win 2019 presidential election against their own candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakah.
“It is pains me a lot. When I see people talking about PDP, I say what is going on. In the South South, they (PDP members) all betrayed us. Buhari would not have won 2019 presidential election because he would not have had a spread but all the states in the South South made Buhari to have 25 percent. Rivers state did not give Buhari 25 percent. PDP sold our party in 2019 election.”
In his remark, Gbajabiamila noted that plotting against one another is part of politics in Nigeria.
He added, “It is the irony of life and indeed, very interesting, the twist of faith that those you sat with to plot against me are the same people that sat together at your primaries to plot against you. So plotting is not necessarily a new thing in politics. What is constant is that in politics there are no permanent enemies, there are no permanent friends, but what you have is permanent interest.”
