Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has described the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, as a total failure.
Speaking at the inauguration of the reconstructed former Riv Bank Insurance building in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday, Wike alleged that the former Minister did not attract any meaningful project to the State in seven years he served as a member of the federal cabinet.
He said a man who has failed to attract projects to his state should hide his face in shame and stop talking about Rivers politics.
Wike spoke in reaction to comments by the former minister that the Rivers State government refused to give state burial to late Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, who was laid to rest last weekend.
“We have taken all your people. Nobody is in your party again. Why not manage and stay quiet; because of your poor leadership.”
“Tell Rivers State people, as Minister of Transportation, what did you do for your people? We have not seen anyone in Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.”
Wike boasted that while he was a junior minister, he attracted the the Faculty of Law to the University of Port Harcourt, and established the Oil and Gas Polytechnic in Bonny.
He also made grants available to Kenule Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic in Bori and Ignatius Ajuru University, while renovating several secondary schools in Rivers State.
“Tell us, as a grade A minister, what you brought. You think you can deceive Rivers State again?”
Wike said the State government stayed away from the burial activities because it was politicised and he did not want to be associated with such trivialities.
“I saw you people have brought politics to the man’s burial. I said, ok, let me withdraw myself. I don’t want to be involved in this kind of politics.”
Wike stated that if people had gone to bury the dead, they would have focused on that mission of honouring the dead and involved him in the talks around the event.
“Let me use this opportunity to say that I am very disappointed that the former minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will still come to the state to talk about this government not giving late Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas a state burial.
“It is unfortunate. I asked him, when Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was sick, where were you? This State government committed so much amount of money to make sure Chief Alabo survived. I want to challenge anybody, we did not spend less than N50m (Fifty Million Naira) to make sure our elder statesman survive. It was survival we wanted, we wanted him to be alive. When his late son had an accident, and was flown to London, this State government bore the cost. Go and ask people.”
Wike said Amaechi refused to honour the deceased while he was alive.
The Rivers State governor said Amaechi declined to grant the request of Graham-Douglas for the elevation of the Abonnema traditional stool to first class and construction of Abonnema ring road.
“Amaechi, Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas told you, please, help me and do the ring road in Abonnema so that when we have occasion, we will not be parked on one road, you refused to do it. I did it.
“When Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was alive, he told Amaechi, why not do this Trans-Kalabari Road? He did not do it. I am the one doing it. So, who is the man who loves Alabo and has made him more happy?
“That was how he pulled down our general hospital that he was going to build Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital. Justice Karibi Whyte died and he never saw one block you laid.”
“Before Elechi Amadi died, you said you are going to build Faculty of Humanities in his honour. That one, you tried to lay block, but you abandoned it. I came and completed that building. Even when everybody knows you have interest in his family.
“When Captain Elechi Amadi died, there was no road to his house for a man you said you love. I came and sent MCC to go and do that road. That road was done and that was how Captain Elechi Amadi was buried. So, you (Amaechi) should be ashamed of yourself.” (Daily Trust)
