Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says his administration has vigorously addressed security challenges in the State to enable all council chairmen deliver dividends of democracy to people at the grassroots. He reiterated that since the inception of his administration, the State government have not touched One Kobo that belongs to the local government councils. The governor said this at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Local Government election grand finale rally in Obio/Akpor local government council that held at Oginigba Primary School Field on Tuesday. “The State government has provided the enabling environment for every local chairman in the State to perform. Since the inception of this administration, the State government have not touched One Kobo that belongs to the local government council. They have always had their money as the statutory allocation comes. The council chairmen have their money to perform. So whoever does not perform is left for him or her. “As a policy of state we have also decided to address vigorously the security challenges in the State, that is to enable them(council Chairmen) perform their duties of delivering democratic dividends to our people.” Represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Emeka Woke, the governor explained that before his assumption of office, the local government councils under the previous administration owed past councillors, elected council chairmen and their political appointees huge sums of money. According to him, the State government expeditiously set up a committee to verify the actual amount of money owed past political appointees and ensured that council caretaker administration paid the debts.
To this end, the governor said no council chairman can claim he or she is owing past political appointees. Governor Wike thanked the people of Obio-Akpor council for the support they have continued to give to his administration right from its inception. The governor said those who have continued to accuse him of executing projects mainly in Port Harcourt city and Obio-Akpor councils are merely playing politics with the truth. According to him, every free minded Rivers indigene and Nigerian can attest to the fact the State Government have ensured even spread of projects in all the 23 councils of the State. “Those of them who say they do not see what we are doing, you don’t expect them to acknowledge what we have done. These are people who have had opportunity to govern the State for eight years and six years down the line, they can’t come and say this is what we did for the people of Rivers State in spite of the huge resources that accrued to them during their time. But, in order to cover their shame and lack of accountability, they will always criticize what we have done.” Governor Wike , urged voters in Obio-Akpor council to come out en masse and vote for PDP chairmanship candidate, Mr. George Ariolu and 17 councillorship candidates in Saturday’s Local Government election. Rivers State PDP Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, said Obio-Akpor council will always be a fertile ground for the PDP because of the numerous developmental projects of the Wike’s administration in the Council. The PDP chairman accused the immediate past administration in the State of wasting the State resources on monorail and other meaningless projects. “Somebody came from Ubima , gave us a monorail that never worked and promised us a narrow gate we are not sure of, desecrated traditional institution in Rivers State, locked up the courts and we have another man who came from Rumuepirikom, opened the courts, built eight flyovers and changed the landscape of Rivers State.” He charged PDP members to ensure the party emerges victorious in Saturday’s election and remain fully mobilised as ahead of the 2023 general elections.
