From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godwills Akpabio, to be mindful of his utterance because he would not tolerate it.
Governor Wike spoke yesterday, at the commissioning of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Secretariat building, in Port Harcourt, describing his comments as unfortunate.
He expressed: “It’s unfortunate, I read what the former governor of Akwa Ibom Senator (Godwills) Akpabio said. I will tell him to talk less. We will tell him that when he was the governor, he was acting like a king.
“There was money that time. The exchange rate was N150 per dollar. Today, it is N500 for a dollar. Akpabio had money, but he had the temerity to say ask South-South governors what they are doing with 13 per cent derivation.
“Akpabio should not talk to Rivers State at all. He has no such authority. He is not qualified to talk to Rivers State. If he wants to talk, he should concentrate in Akwa Ibom State or else, we teach him a lesson here.
“Akpabio should know that enough is enough. If he should talk here, I will teach him a lesson. I am not a sycophant and I am not an inconsistent person. I don’t give a damn.
“He cannot say he sees me in the Villa. So, if he wants to talk, let him concentrate on his state not to venture again talk about Rivers. If he does it again, he will regret.
“I am not one of those governors he can turn around. I am not that kind of person. People should say what they practice. I will show you a video where the President said they should come and learn from me what we are doing here.
“People forget they just come out and talk any how. He went and asked so-called South-South militants that we should render account of N55 trillion. Where did he get the N55 trillion from? If we got N55 trillion, then, he got N200 trillion”.
Governor Wike wondered why the minister should say they (South-South) governors boycotted the commissioning of the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, when he did not ask the governors the suitable time.
“You came to commission a project; you can’t ask the governors when is suitable for them. Later, they said they boycotted the programme. Boycotted what?
“You promised you were going to partner with me, when we were doing the Eastern bypass. But, you ran away and now you are enjoying it. Akpabio be careful. Don’t go and pay money to people to type propaganda against governors. You will suffer for it at the end of the day.
“We know what Akpabio was doing as a governor. We saw himself as god then. Now, he has the temerity to insult South-South governors. We will meet one day. If he did well, why did he fail his senatorial election.
“You will finish from Abuja and you will come here. When you were begging governors to come and talk on your behalf, you didn’t know; how they were fighting you and why people should not bring military administration. Now you are fighting us. Will abuse you back at the appropriate time.
“I am only making introduction today. What I will do be prepared. Now, you have gone to look for trouble, I will give you trouble. You will never sleep again. I know he used to have high blood pressure.
“This is why Nigeria cannot move forward. You ran to the other party for protection. The same party that says they are fighting corruption. You can just say anything. Abuse governors. Don’t dare me”.