CHATHAM HOUSE CHARADE: INCRA URGES GOV. WIKE TO CREATE A MINISTRY FOR THE DEFAMATION OF AMAECHI.
The Inter-ethnic Network for Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, INCRA, is deeply saddened over Gov. Wike's recent disgraceful and opprobrious appearance at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London.
We are certain that the Management of Chatham House must have rued its decision to grant the Governor an invitation to appear on its platform against our advice. The Governor effectively succeeded in desecrating the hallowed temple of the globally acclaimed Chatham House by grossly deviating from the issue of discuss to political exhibitionism and disparagement of his benefactor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and the Buhari-led Federal Government in rare show of eccentricity.
The Chatham House debacle is both injurious to the reputation of the Rivers State and the Nigerian nation at large. As concerned citizens and stakeholders in the Rivers project, we are compelled by a sense of responsibility and patriotism to correct many of the Governor's faux pas in the course of delivering his speech.
The Governor claimed the federal government has not undertaken any new project in the State for the last two decades. This claim is shocking and we wonder why the Governor opted to be economical with the truth and facts of the matter. The University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital, one of the biggest health facilities in the State was built by the Obasanjo-led federal government. Thereafter, the Late Umaru Musa Yar'Adua came on board, established the Ministry of Niger Delta and granted amnesty to the Niger Delta militants within 2 years before his demise. Rivers State benefited immensely from both programmes as it was the hotbed of ravaging militant activities.
The next 6 years were under the Jonathan-led federal government which scored the least in terms of undertaking any project in Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta. Being a major stakeholder in the Jonathan government, the Governor has inadvertently implicated himself.
Whereas within just 2 years of the present Buhari-led federal government, a number of developmental projects have been embarked on in Rivers State and the Niger Delta. The implementation of the UNEP report in Ogoni land, the Bonny-Bodo road flagoff, the reconstruction of the East-West road, the on-going railway project expected to link Rivers State to other parts of the country, and several other projects which the Jonathan-led government could not undertake for lack of political will.
The federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari has meaningfully engaged several citizens of Rivers State through the ongoing N-power scheme which trains and pay participants monthly. Rivers State is among the States with the highest number of participants and it is on record that Wike's Obio/Akpor LGA contributed the highest number of participants from Rivers State. Beyond that, the federal government under President Buhari has also given employment to Rivers indigenes through the Nigerian Ports Authority, National Railway Corporation, NIMASA and others all under the Ministry of Transportation headed by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.
It is an indisputable fact that the Rivers State Government under Gov. Wike has recieved all the necessary financial support it needs to succeed from the federal government. Rivers State ranks top amongst States with the highest share of the statutory monthly allocation and all other funds shared amongst the States of the federation by the federal government. For instance, the federal government has released the first and second tranches of the Paris Club refund of which Rivers State received the highest amounts running into hundreds of billions of Naira. We wonder how the Governor can positively effect any meaningful and sustainable development without a budget. May we be reminded that budget is a fiscal instrument recognised by law and as such, it is criminal to run a governm
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