• Rivers PDP tackles FG over N1.3trn capital  projects

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that Nigerians will vote out APC in the next general election because of the party’s woeful performance. 

Speaking when he granted audience to the  Implementation Support Team on the World Bank-Assisted State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) yesterday, Wike said no political miracle will allow the APC govern the country again.

He said Nigerians have already made the mistake, but emphasised that the country cannot afford to make the costly mistake again in the future. 

“Now that Nigerians are unhappy with them, they will go. Nothing will save them from going. Nigerians are not happy. There is no miracle again that can be performed. 

“Next year is a political year, so nothing  again will happen. They have failed; nobody should try to come and say we should give them another opportunity. This ‘one chance’ we have entered, we don’t want to enter it again. Nobody will make this mistake twice.”

Wike praised the World Bank for the creation of 5,500 jobs in the state and the commencement of the process for the creation of additional 5,000 jobs for the youths.

Commending the bank for its support, he directed the immediate release of N35 million for the state to access $3 million grant from the bank for further execution of Fadama project.

He urged the World Bank to assist the state to develop a framework to improve the state’s revenue profile.

Earlier, the World Bank Task Team Leader of SEEFOR, Ismaila Ceesay, said the SEEFOR programme has already generated 5,500 jobs, with another 5,000 to be generated in October 2017.

He noted that the indirect benefits of the programme include the provision of water, sanitation and basic amenities.

In another development, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the APC-led Federal Government over its claim that N1.3 trillion was invested in capital projects in 2016.

The party described the claim as the ‘worst scam of the year’, adding that if such amount was invested in projects, there would not have been alarming rate of infrastructure decay in the country.

PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Samuel Nwanosike, said this, in Aluu community, Ikwerre Local Government Area, yesterday, during an official reception of over 200 supporters of the APC, who decamped to the PDP.

Nwanosike urged the federal government to be sincere to the people.

He also expressed worries over the deplorable state of the East-West road.

adding that the people of Niger Delta have not felt the impact of the claimed project.

“The Federal Government said it has spent N1.3 trillion on capital projects. We want to see one project done with the money.

“The East-West road, which is the major road in the Niger Delta, has been abandoned. People cannot travel freely on it. They should show us one project done with the money. In 2019, people should vote out APC and put PDP because they are a party of deceit. 

“Nothing is happening at the national level. Boko Haram insurgents are killing people in one place, while herdsmen are killing at the other side; and the economy is being destroyed everyday.”

On the recent Court of Appeal judgment that affirmed the sack of Senator George Sekibo, Nwanosike said: “We won the elections in the state unit by unit, even the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi’s unit.

“They (APC) have set a new rule in the judiciary. One day, it will be used against them. We have faith in the judiciary. We pray that they will not go and arrest judges again.”

Meanwhile, the PDP scribe accused the minister of failing to construct good roads in his council during his eight years in office as governor.

He reiterated the call for Amaechi to resign his position as the transportation minister, adding that he (Amaechi) had failed to attract federal projects in the state.

Receiving the defectors, the party promised that equal opportunities would be given to all members.

Vice Chairman, who represented the Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said: “Our umbrella is big enough to accommodate everybody. You all will have equal stake with other members in PDP as you are back.”