Rivers APC Flays Wike, Say Presidents Do Not Commission “Markets”

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has denied the allegation by Governor Nyesom Wike that pressure was mounted on Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, not to participate in the commissioning of the Rumuokoro Utra Modern Market and Motor Park.

Recall that Governor Wike had during his speech at the commissioning of the motor park threw tantrums at the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and other leaders of the party for putting the Acting President under pressure not to participate in the commissioning.

State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chris Finebone in a statement said Governor Wike should understand that no President in Nigeria goes about commissioning local government projects such as markets and garages.

Finebone said the Acting President hurriedly left Rivers state because he was pressed for time after managing to commission some road projects in Etche.

The statement said the governor should have cleared the projects he wanted commissioned with the office of the Acting President prior to commencing his media propaganda, instead he put the cart before the horse.

The party, however, said the Acting President personally commissioned the fertilizer plant because the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Limited remains the nation’s most viable privatisation scheme undertaken by the federal government.

The APC also said that it is wrong for anyone to play politics with the visit of the Acting President.

The statement reads, “The APC applauds the Acting President for personally commissioning the plant as the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Limited remains perhaps the nation’s most viable privatisation scheme undertaken by the federal government.

“However, we deplore the tantrum being thrown at the APC by the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike alleging that leaders of our party put pressure on the Acting President to decline commissioning his market and motor park projects.

“The governor should understand that no President in Nigeria goes about commissioning local government projects such as markets and garages.

“The Acting President, pressed for time, managed to commission the only two road projects that appeared to be of some significance – the Chokocho-Igbo-Etche-Rumuokurushi Road and Chokocho-Umuechem-Ozuzu Road.

“Ordinarily, we expect Gov. Wike to show appreciation that the Acting President squeezed in the commissioning of those two projects into his very tight schedule and not accuse the Ag. President and APC of playing politics.

“If anyone played politics over the visit, it was Gov. Nyesom Wike. We urge him to take the advice of the Acting President that public office holders should pay more attention to governance than playing politics.

“The governor should have cleared the projects he wanted commissioned with the office of the Acting President prior to commencing his media propaganda instead he put the cart before the horse. Instead of taking the blame for mismanaging the process and deliberately lying to the people, he resorted to blaming the APC. Gov Wike should own up that his attempt to continue fooling the people crashed in his face this time around.

“In the beginning, Gov. Nyesom Wike and PDP told Rivers people that the Acting President was visiting Rivers State to commission his projects. They never mentioned the fertilizer plant at Eleme.

“On the other hand, APC told Rivers people that the major assignment the Acting President was coming to perform in Rivers State was the commissioning of the ultra-modern world-class fertilizer plant built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited.

“With the visit having come and gone, we believe that Rivers people now know who tells them the truth.”