 |
| Gov Wike of Rivers State |
By
Barr. Somiari Ogolo
Nigerians get easily disenchanted with Federal Government without bothering about the roles of States and Local Governments in the development of each state. They believe that the Federal Government should be blamed when things are not working in these states that is ordinarily ran by governors and local government chairmen.
I strongly believe that this is a misconception and ought to be corrected.
How has the government of Gov. Nyesom Wike aided to flourish rivers state economy, other than multiple taxation, touting and thuggish approach by his tax collectors and his “Obio/Akpor boys?
He deliberately sacked Timariv, rssda, fish farm, banana, Rivpoly lecturers and many other staff, thereby increasing unemployment ratio which even the Bureau of statistics officially acknowledges as number ONE in the federation, which has in turn increased insecurity. Rather than find a way to deal with it, the governor increased his security vote with the aid of his Rubber stamp assembly. As a result of this insecurity, investors are pulling away from the state and making life further miserable for the people. The state government doesn’t care after all. The health care system has failed totally due to lack of funding, even the free school policy that former Governor Amaechi entrenched has been abolished and parents are now stretched to cope with paying fees to keep their kids and wards in govt schools.
It is difficult to identify any area the state govt has done anything tangible to improve infrastructural decay or build upon the few Amaechi did. Most of the ‘feeder or patched’ roads constructed by Gov. Wike has failed or failing. No mega road has been built by the govt. No new city or Master plan in place. Great PH development authority is moribund and retrenched. Staff now go areas not covered by the enabling law to mark properties illegally just to defraud the people. Their staff are yet to be paid since last year.
The budget of the state is more like a secret document. Nobody knows cost of projects awarded. The state is ran by a cabal known as “cardinals.” The commissioners are simply figure heads, absolutely adding no value.
If we allow this govt to stay beyond 29th May 2019, rivers people may wake up some day and find their state sold to boko haram or Ipob people.
Should we even talk about pensioners or the civil servants who have been not been promoted in the past three years or the ones who were promoted and yet no increment of salaries?
The ineptitude and fraudulent activities of this current government in Rivers state threatens the future of our survival and that of our children.
As for the local government councils, nothing remarkable can be reported as done by any of the 23 Local Government councils in the past 3yrs.
Unfortunately, elders and leaders of the state seem to have all lost their voices to speak up for fear of death or only God knows what.
Rivers People indeed need a fresh breath!
#WIKEMUSTGO!
No comments:
Post a Comment