Monday, December 30, 2024 - The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has slammed ex-Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, for supporting the current Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike, the inmediate past Governor of Rivers State, was reacting to
Odili’s recent remark that Fubara stopped him (Wike) from turning Rivers into
his private estate.
Reacting on Sunday, Dec. 29, Wike described Odili as a rent seeker and
an ingrate.
According to a statement by his media aide, Leke Olayinka, Wike spoke at a
Special Thanksgiving Service organised by factional Speaker of the Rivers State
House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, at the Church of Nigeria (Anglican
Communion), Oro-Igwe/Eliogbolo Archdeaconry Church of the Holy Spirit, Eliozu
Parish, Port Harcourt.
Wike, who tagged Odili an ingrate, narrated how he built a house for the
former governor, adding that Odili also had some of his family members
occupying positions in the Rivers State government, turning Rivers into his
personal estate.
Wike said accoridng to the statement: “Must you be a trader all the
time? As governor for eight years, what else are you looking for? You know, I
didn’t want to say anything. But somebody called me last night, and told me
what someone said in the social media. I said until I read it myself. This
morning, I read in the newspapers, what our former Governor, Sir Dr Peter Odili
said”.
“What did he say? He said that the present governor has been able to
stop one man who wanted to convert Rivers State to his personal estate. Between
him and myself, who has turned Rivers State to his personal estate? His wife is
a Chairman of Governing Council, his daughter is a commissioner, his other
daughter is a judge and he is the general overseer. Who has now turned Rivers
State to his private estate? I am sure if care is not taken, if there is a
chance, he can even arrange a marriage for the governor”.
“In 2007 after he left office, he couldn’t come near power in the State
because Amaechi was the governor then. He was gone! Like somebody said that God
will use someone to lift up someone. When I came in as governor in 2015, I
won’t use the word resurrected, but I brought him back to life.”
Wike also said that Odili had equally also praised him as better than
the past governors in the state, stating that the former Governor reduced
himself to a laughing stock.
“All of you here remember when I was governor, this same Odili praised me to
high heaven. In fact, he said then that all past governors in Rivers State
combined did not do better than me. Now, because you have organized a Christmas
Carol for the governor, I didn’t say you should not do your Christmas Carol.
But why reduce yourself to such a laughing stock. People will still see it on
television how he was telling the whole world then how God used me to bring him
back to life politically”.
“The governor that all of us made has not
spent one year in office and the same Odili was already saying that the
governor has beaten the records of all the past governors of Rivers State. When
I was there, he said I had surpassed the records of all the past governors,
including himself. What can he even show that he did in his eight years as
governor? But a governor has not spent one year, you are saying he has done
more than all the past governors”.
Wike further stated that Odili has no
achievements in his eight years as governor, adding that he failed in his
Presidency bid, and that former Governor Odili had opposed the emergency of Fubara
as Rivers State Governor.
“You spent eight years as governor and someone who hasn’t spent one year
has surpassed your records, what manner of elder talks like that? Is that what
an elder statesman should be known for?
“When I was plotting who will be governor after me, was he (Odili)
there? Then, he was complaining about this governor, saying that he couldn’t
stand before the public to talk. But today, he is organising Christmas Carol
for the same governor he was against then.
“He has forgotten all that he said in the past. I named this after you,
I named that after your wife. What have I not done? This is a man who wanted to
run for President then, he didn’t have the balls, he chickened out. Simply
because Obasanjo said no, he will not contest, he ran away. Because of him, I
never invited Obasanjo to Rivers State to inaugurate projects. I felt it would
humiliate him,” Wike said.
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