• Come on projects’ tour of Rivers and learn, Obuah tells Benue governor
By Emma Njoku and Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has accused his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike of trying to use Benue to divert attention from the gross failure of governance and stinking corruption in his State.
Wike, in an interview, yesterday, had called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe Ortom on the N12.7 billion Paris Club refund to his state (Benue) in December last year.
The Rivers governor had, also, in that interview, promised to construct two roads in Benue apparently to spite Ortom whom he accused of ineptitude and lack of capacity to run a state.
But, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom said: “Benue people are witnesses to the fact that the government run by Rivers governor’s political party, PDP, abandoned 11 roads across the state. Governor Ortom has, since assumption of office, deployed funds and mobilised the contractors back to site.”
He said some of the road projects have already been completed and others are at different stages of completion.
“Governor Ortom has also awarded six new road contracts in different parts of the state and more are being considered by the State Executive Council for approval in spite of lean resources,” the statement read.
Ortom said “Wike’s recent interest in affairs of other states, including Benue, is a clear manifestation of an idle governor and an indication that, unlike his counterpart in Benue, Wike has so much time to distract busy governors of other states.”
Meanwhile, Chairman, Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro Felix Obuah, has urged Governor Ortom to visit Rivers State to inspect completed and ongoing projects executed by the current administration of Governor Wike across the State.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, Obuah commended Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, other governors, senior citizens, religious and political leaders, who had visited Rivers to inspect the developmental projects in the State.
He, particularly, lauded some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, who, he said, had demonstrated high spirit of patriotism and statesmanship during such tours of completed and ongoing projects embarked upon by the Wike administration.
“Apart from the landmark peace and security in the State, which is largely a product of various deliberate and committed efforts and successful amnesty programme of Governor Wike, Port-Harcourt, the state capital and its environs now wear a new look, following the “Operation Keep Rivers State Clean” initiative of the current administration through the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA),” he said.
Obuah said infrastructure, human capacity and institutional development have been top priorities of the Wike administration for which Rivers people, residents and business operators in the state are happy about.
“Any government worth its salt should be able to provide security for lives and property of its citizens, a great feat that the Wike administration has achieved, even in the face of apparent distractions and politicisation of insecurity by the opposition party in the state,” Obuah said.
The PDP chairman said embarking on a tour of developmental projects in Rivers State will avail Governor Ortom the opportunity to tap from Governor Wike’s wealth of experience and success story.
“This is a passionate invitation to Mr. Ortom, which should not be taken for granted. No man knows it all. If your style of leadership does not work, learn from Governor Wike’s proactive governance,” Obuah advised Ortom.
The Rivers PDP chairman commended Governor Wike “for the judicious use of the first tranche of the Paris Club fund from the federal government, even though it was meagre, compared to what was released to other APC controlled States.”