▫Doles out Hundreds of Millions of Naira to Traditional Rulers and Youth Groups.
A leading media organisation in Rivers State, the Inter-ethnic Network for Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, INCRA, has uncovered plots by Gov. Wike to splash the sum of Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000.00) each on Traditional Rulers and Youth Groups from select areas in Rivers State.
According to our source, the Governor is billed to meet with some Traditional Rulers drawn from Okrika, Old Port-Harcourt, Ogu Bolo, Kalabari, Bonny and Opobo-Nkoro areas today a the Government House Port-Harcourt by 10.00 hours to solicit their endorsement as part of his political game plans ahead of the 2019 electoral year. It is estimated that over a hundred Traditional Rulers will be in attendance and each is expected to haul off with "brown envelopes" loaded with crispy Naira notes to the tune of Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000.00.)
Also scheduled for the "endorsement visit" to Government House today are some Youth Groups across the State and each of these groups are expected to smile home with the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000.00) each. Of particular importance to the Governor in his intended show of desperation and shame are Chiefs and Stakeholders from the Opobo-Nkoro area, where he has specifically directed his DFA to mobilize stakeholders from this area to come for the endorsement theatrics today.
The visit is intended to create a false impression and guile the general public into believing that the Governor enjoys overwhelming support from the people of Rivers State, when that is in the contrary. As a matter of fact, the Governor has continued to lose popularity and Rivers people are now better informed on his artifices and exhibitionist proclivities. How else does one explain the ploy by the Governor to splash hundreds of Millions of Naira just to gain validation from Traditional Rulers and some Youth Groups even under a crunching economic situation where the masses suffer untold hardship and are running on several months of "Work without Pay?"
Indeed history repeats itself and only those who are mindful enough learn from history and avoid the costly mistakes. Clearly, the Governor does not fall into the class of those who learn from history. We recall vividly, that similar scenarios played out between 2003 and 2006, where a sitting Governor traversed the length and breadth of the Country seeking political validation and endorsement from both individuals and group with huge sums of money gulped in the process, yet was unable to achieve his desired end. Here we are again, about 14years after, another cycle of history is about to be completed with the Governor in the centre of it.
We are hardly surprised at the Governor's desperation, it was clear from the onset that the he had no plans for the masses. Having become Governor through the instrumentality of Money and Might, it is only natural that he sustains his position through same. This is the sad but real state we have found our dear State. On several occasions we have condemned and effectively criticised the Governor's disposition towards trying to gain traffic and validation from different groups and individuals within and outside the State.
We had advised him to refrain from his overindulgence in political manoeuvres and face the business of governance with the seriousness it deserves. Only when the dividends of governance are delivered can he gain the validation he seeks. Been aware of his diminishing popularity and the public opprobrium in which he is held, he has now resorted to paying huge amounts of money from the State coffers to gain political and social acceptance amongst Rivers people with 2019 in view.
It is indeed suprising that the self-styled Mr. Project is struggling hard to sway the masses and gain their support with his so-called projects rather, he has resorted to his well known tactics of "Pay As You Go" - using money to buy endorsements and support. Obviously, his Mr. Project by name is a misnomer and a paradox. It may however, be correct and most appropriate if by Mr. Project, he meant the filling of potholes, routine road maintenance and resurfacing or the multiple sprout of low-grade projects like building jetties and motor parks, indiscriminate installation of rotaries or roundabouts on high traffic motorways. These are certainly no projects fit to be undertaken by a any State Government, more less by the Rivers State Government.
In an ideal world, the present Rivers State Government would readily pass for an anomaly. The government represents a total departure from anything with the semblance of good and purposeful governance. It has supervised in several ways, the erosion of known values and gains of preceeding governments.
Rivers people are therefore, put on notice once again that our collective patrimony is being frittered away by the Governor and used to pursue his personal agenda. The Governor must decide what he truly wants. He must make make up his mind whether to seek re-election as Governor or continue his wild goose chase of the position of Vice President, rather than lavishing the State funds on political pursuits that are of no relevance to the State. This is made even clearer in his Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) largess on each delegate at the just concluded PDP convention that produced his political lapdog, Uche Secondus as Chairman of the Party under contestable circumstances.
As the weight of the government's lack of tact and direction comes heavier on the masses, disillusionment and tough criticisms by the citizenry gains momentum. Even though the government has continued to carry on with its insensitivity or maintained an oblivious posture on the sufferings of the citizenry the facts remains that the crunching and insufferable state of affairs under the present government in Rivers State is taking a worsening dimension.
Good governance in Rivers State has come to an abrupt end under the Wike-led government, the State is now on a retrogressive high-speed lane. Avarice, puerile politicking and zero sense of direction has put paid to values and standards that foster development. The pillars of societal values and ethics are irretrievably eroded. Political value systems which promotes progressivity in governance has been abandoned in the ditch in preference meaningless political malfeasance.
Only the endorsement of the downtrodden and neglected masses can save the Governor from his present state of political quandary. No amount of acquired validation can salvage him now, the Governor must sit up and stop deceiving the gullible members of the public.
INCRA,
Ubima, Rivers State.
December 28, 2017.
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