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Tag: Wike

  • No regrets supporting Wike as Rivers governor – Goodluck Jonathan

    No regrets supporting Wike as Rivers governor – Goodluck Jonathan

    Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has said he has no regrets whatsoever supporting Governor Nyesom Wike in the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state.

    The ex-president noted that electorates also were not disappointed at Wike’s outstanding performance so far in Rivers State.

    Jonathan was speaking at the commissioning of the Second Nkpogu Bridge as part of the second year anniversary of Wike’s administration.

    He said, “Governor Wike has performed wonderfully well.

    “I have no regrets that Governor Wike is the governor of Rivers State. I am happy that the governor has opened up Rivers State through projects.

    “Wike has shown so much commitment to infrastructural development. The whole of Rivers State is now a construction yard.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Wike was Minister of State for Education under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

     

  • Stop allocating soldiers to politicians, Wike tells Buratai

    Stop allocating soldiers to politicians, Wike tells Buratai

    Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has urged the Nigerian Army to desist from allocating soldiers to politicians.

    Wike said this while reacting to a comment credited to the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, that some people were approaching soldiers for political reasons.

    He spoke during the flag off of the construction of the Old Aba Road by Mbano Junction in Oyigbo Local Government Area on Wednesday.

    The governor said the attachment of soldiers to politicians was a threat to national security.

    He urged Buratai to take action against the alleged hobnobbing of politicians with soldiers.

    Wike said all over the world, only the Commander-in-Chief had soldiers guarding him.

    He said, “Who are those approving battalions of soldiers to politicians? If they don’t want soldiers to follow politicians, they should stop giving soldiers to politicians.

    “It is only in Nigeria that soldiers follow politicians. They should stop soldiers from being security details to politicians. Somebody comes home and they will give him battalions of soldiers and they say soldiers should not hobnob with politicians.

    “All over the world, it is only the commander-in-chief that is allowed to use soldiers. But here, you see soldiers following politicians everywhere.”

  • After two years, APC has no project in Rivers – Wike

    After two years, APC has no project in Rivers – Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that after two years in office, the APC Federal Government has not executed a single meaningful project in the state.

    Flagging off the construction of the Elele-Alimini internal roads in Emohua Local Government Area on Tuesday said that the APC made promises and abandoned the state.

    The flag of the construction of the Elele-Alimini internal roads is part of the second year anniversary of Governor Wike.

    He said: “APC has deceived Nigerians .I challenge the APC to show one project that they have executed in Rivers State in the last two years . They have made promises, but they have made no efforts to fulfil the promises.

    “Enough is enough for the lying and deception of the APC. You can see the difference between light and darkness”.

    The governor explained that construction of the Elele-Alimini internal roads is in fulfilment of his promise to the people of the area.

    “Those people in APC stayed in Government for eight years, but never fulfilled the promises they made to the people of Elele-Alimini. Today, we are here to fulfill our promises to the people of the area.

    “Because the people of Elele-Alimini did not disappoint me when I came to them for votes, I will not disappoint them. ”

    He said that the people of Rivers State have no business being in the APC as the party has shown by its actions that it will not execute projects in the state.

    He commended the leader of the APC in Elele-Alimini , Chief Chibuike Dike for leading his supporters back to the PDP.

    In his remarks, Former President-General of Ogbakor Ikwerre, Prof Augustine Ahiazu said the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality is proud of the achievements of Governor Wike.

    Rivers State Works Commissioner, Mr Iheanyichuwu Bathuel said that 20 roads, spanning 30 kilometres will be reconstructed in Elele-Alimini to assist them move their farm produce to markets.

  • Wike sues police over attempt to search his houses for cash, arms

    Wike sues police over attempt to search his houses for cash, arms

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has sued the police over an alleged move to search his house in Abuja for huge sums of cash and ammunition.

    Also joined as defendants in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja are the Inspector-General of Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Services.

    The governor said he had it on good authority that the defendants had already or were making moves to obtain a search warrant to carry out the planned search on his home at Ortega Close, Hassan Usman Katsina Street, Asokoro Extension, Abuja.

    According to him, the defendants were also making moves to search his other houses, including those in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    But he contended in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja through his lawyer, Mr. Sylva Ogwemoh (SAN), that such a search would violate his immunity as a sitting governor.

    He wants the court to restrain the defendants from giving effect to the alleged planned search of his homes.

    His lawyer, Ogwemoh, claimed that such a search could not be conducted by the defendants without violating Section 308 of the constitution, which conferred immunity on his client as a governor.

    He asked the court to determine ‘whether the defendants can by the combined effect of section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and sections 149 (1) and 150 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 apply for, obtain, issue or, in any manner or form, effectively execute a search warrant’ at the residences of Wike.

  • Wike turning governance into circus – Peterside

    Former governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the 2015 governorship elections in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of turning governance in the state into a circus.

    Peterside who is the Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), also questioned Wike’s claim that the $43.45million found in a Lagos apartment belongs to Rivers Government.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) recovered the suspicious money in different currencies at a residence in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

    Wike claimed that the money was the proceeds from the sale of gas turbines by Rotimi Amaechi, who was his predecessor.

    Peterside, who served in the Amaechi administration as a commissioner for works and later a member of the House of Representatives, slammed Wike’s claim as deceptive.

    He accused the governor of turning governance into a circus show and lacking the sense of dignity by constantly being in the news for all the wrong reasons.

    “Not too long ago, Wike apparently suffering from overdose of self delusion said he awarded road projects in far away Benue State and had mobilised contractors to site.

    “The same Wike has also accused the Inspector General of Police of plotting to assassinate him through the new CP in Rivers State.

    “We thought these were jokes taken too far. But the clownish governor has surprised himself with another tale by moonlight in trying to link his former boss and benefactor to the unclaimed money,” he said.

    According to Peterside, there is need to examine Wike’s state of mind because his utterances and actions are embarrassing Rivers people.

    “Time and time again, Wike is bringing ridicule to the office he occupies and embarrassing the people of Rivers State who are known to be intelligent, responsible and decent in upbringing,” he said.

    The APC chieftain said Amaechi, Minister of Transportation had since denied owning the said house in Lagos and challenged the Rivers Government to provide evidence to the contrary.

    Peterside explained that the money realised from the sale of gas turbines was paid into the account of Rivers state and used for projects.

    “While Wike can never come near the record of Amaechi, he is doing everything to reverse the unmatchable records of his predecessor.

    ” As at today, no one has seen copies of 2016 and 2017 budgets of Rivers State. Schools and health centres are shutting down with thousands of school age children out of school,” he said.

    “It is people like Wike who have made Nigerians to call to question the issue of immunity in the Constitution. He is taking immunity as shield to abuse the dignity of the office of Governor.

    “The governor can still retrace his steps and follow the path of dignity, decorum and respect the office he occupies for he holds it in trust on behalf of Rivers people,” he said.

    Peterside also said he had been a victim of the lies being told by the Wike Clan, as he was accused by the PDP chairman in the state, of using $6m to influence judicial officers.

     

     

     

  • Wike, NIA battle over ownership of N13bn seized by EFCC

    Controversies surrounding ownership of the N13bn ($43.4m, N23m and £27,000) found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, took a dramatic turn on Friday evening when Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the National Intelligence Agency claimed ownership of the money.

    The National Intelligence Agency on Friday said the money belonged to it.

    A national daily had earlier reported that the money belonged to the NIA. Sources at the agency confirmed to one our correspondents late Friday that the money belonged to the agency and that it had written a formal letter to President Muhammadu Buhari to claim ownership of the money.

    According to the NIA, which is Nigeria’s foreign intelligence service, the money was said to have been approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for covert operations and security projects covering a period of years.

    The money was said to have been released in bits during the tenure of a former NIA director-general.

     

    According to reports from NIA on the day the EFCC men gathered around the house, the NIA reached out to Magu to explain to him that the money was the property of the Federal Government and the place was an NIA safe house. Unfortunately, the EFCC still went ahead to break down the doors.”

    However, governor Wike, described the claim that the cash belonged to the NIA as balderdash, alleged that the immediate past governor of the state and the current Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, kept the money in the apartment.

    As such, the Rivers State governor gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to return the money to the state government or be ready to face legal action.

  • Fayose, Wike used Jonathan to distrupt PDP’s reconcilliatory moves – Sheriff

    Fayose, Wike used Jonathan to distrupt PDP’s reconcilliatory moves – Sheriff

    The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party took a new dimension on Thursday when its National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, accused the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyeson Wike, and his Ekiti State counterpart, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, of recruiting former President Goodluck Jonathan to scuttle the party’s peace process.

    He alleged that the two governors gave the former President the task of scuttling the efforts of the party’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    The former President had, on Thursday last week in Abuja, organised the party’s stakeholders’ meeting, which ended in disarray.

    Sheriff and members of his National Working Committee walked out of the meeting due to disagreements on how it should be conducted.

    However, members of the sacked National Caretaker Committee of the party, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and other stakeholders of the party were in attendance.

    The Makarfi committee, which was sacked by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, has however taken its case to the Supreme Court.

    Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Sheriff, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, said Jonathan was lured into committing a serious breach of protocol that led to the failure of the exercise which was the intended outcome.

    He said, “It was a thing of joy for the party faithful as they jubilated that indeed peace has returned to the party.

    “But to the surprise of all, Wike and Fayose recruited the former President Goodluck Jonathan into a fake peace effort predetermined to scuttle Governor Dickson’s efforts.

    “The result is that President Jonathan was lured into committing a serious breach of protocol that led to the failure of the exercise, which was the intended outcome.”

    Sheriff also alleged that Wike sponsored the meeting (with Jonathan) with the sum of N50m.

    He said, “The allegation that Wike spent a whopping N50m to host the last failed meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan is neither palatable nor is it acceptable.”

    Sheriff further alleged that the governor had spent several millions in relation to the PDP case at the Supreme Court.

    He said, “It is said that Wike paid $1m for legal fees to Markarfi’s attorneys in the ongoing Supreme Court matter and has disbursed $5m to unknown persons in relation to the Supreme Court case.

    “He has been boasting that he bought his governorship Supreme Court judgment through someone (name withheld) in Suit No PHC/810/2016.”

    The party chairman expressed concern with what he described as “needless spending” by Wike.

    He added, “The party is worried that the amount of money Wike is spending needlessly is worrisome and a measure of unbridled profligacy intended to further smear the good image of the party.

    “This money belongs to the people of Rivers State and it should not be misappropriated at the expense of the people to whom it rightfully belongs.

    “Anybody partaking in the misuse of Rivers State money should be fully aware that it is blood money. We therefore call on party leaders and Nigerians to refrain from accepting these monies from Governor Wike in line with the spirit of our founding fathers.”

    Sheriff nevertheless announced that the party’s National Executive Council meeting would hold on May 3, in Abuja.

    But Jonathan denied collecting money from anyone to host the botched meeting.

    The former President, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, said that there was no reason for anybody to accuse him of collecting money from anybody to organise a stakeholders’ meeting.

    The ex-President stated, “The former President intervened in the crisis because of his genuine commitment to bring about peace in the party that made him President. I don’t think anybody will believe that he collected money from anybody to organise the meeting.

    “It is out of his genuine concern to bring peace to the party. He has been meeting with members of the party; he met with Sheriff several times, he also met with Makarfi several times. He met with the governors.

    “I don’t see any reason for anybody to say that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organise the stakeholders’ conference.”

    In his own reaction, Fayose said Sheriff was doing the bidding of his paymasters in the All Progressives Congress.

    Fayose spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka.

    “If Ali Modu Sheriff has taken his desperation to serve his paymasters in the APC to the level of accusing former President Goodluck Jonathan of being bribed to organise a peace meeting for the PDP, there is no reason for any sane mind to continue to respond to the continuous advertisement of his (Sheriff) political insanity,” he added.

  • How Wike survived 5 assassination attempts in 11 months – Rivers Govt

    How Wike survived 5 assassination attempts in 11 months – Rivers Govt

    The Rivers State Government has said the state governor, Nyesom Wike survived five assassination attempts in eleven months.

    This was revealed in a statement on Monday by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George.

    Tam-George described as callous and insensitive, recent denials by the Police that the governor’s life was at risk.

    “It is no secret that the APC government declared war on the government and people of Rivers State, soon after the party lost the governorship litigation at the Supreme Court in 2016,” the commissioner said in a statement on Monday.

    He added that the first attempt to kill the governor was made immediately after the Supreme Court verdict.

    Dr Tam-George said the governor’s Chief Security Officer was removed without any explanation, and that the six police officers dismissed by the Police in January this year played a key role in foiling the series of attempts to kill Wike.

    The commissioner further disclosed that after several attempts to assassinate Wike had failed, an offer of one hundred and fifty million Naira was made to two of the six dismissed police officers, to directly kill the governor, but that the officers declined the offer.

    “We call on the Interpol and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to lead an independent inquiry into why those gallant and patriotic officers were dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force, on spurious charges of misconduct.”

    Tam-George further alleged that as part of its preparations to seize Rivers State in the 2019 elections, the central APC government was already considering a range of escalatory measures against Wike and some key leaders in Rivers state.

  • Police IG never ordered anyone to kill Gov. Wike

    Police IG never ordered anyone to kill Gov. Wike

    The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike’s claim that Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris ordered the Rivers State Police to have him killed.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood disclosed this in a press release issued on Sunday.

    Wike made the allegation in an interview with The Punch on April 9, headlined, “IG Has Given CP A Mandate To Kill Me – Wike.”

    The Nigeria Police Force dismissed the claim as unfounded.

    “To clear doubts from the minds of the good people of Rivers State and other well-meaning Nigerians that must have read the story and set the record straight, the Force is under obligation to inform the public on the facts of the matter.

    “There was no time, either recently or in the past, that the Inspector-General of Police gave an order or assignment to the Commissioner of Police of Rivers State or any police officer anywhere in the country to kill His Excellency, Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State,” the statement said.

    “His Excellency should put into cognisance national security and that of the people of Rivers State as against any personal, political or group interest, and resist the use of personal grudges, grouse and sentiment to attack the hard earned personality of the Inspector-General of Police to cast aspersion on the statutory roles of the Force in ensuring utmost protection of life and property of all Nigerians,” the Police Force said.

    The Force added that it is duty-bound to tell the public that Wike and his office are shielded by 221 police personnel. This detachment consists of an Aide-de-Camp, Chief Security Officer, Unit Commanders from the Special Protection and Counter-terrorism units, respectively, an escort commander, camp commander, administrative officer and 54 Inspectors of Police.

    The team also includes 136 sergeants and 24 corporals.

    “Obviously, the total number of 221 police personnel attached to the Governor of Rivers State is more than the strength of some Police Area Commands formation in some States of Nigeria. This is done to ensure optimum safety and protection of the Executive Governor of Rivers State. It is also factual to state that Mr. Wike has not, at any time, reported or brought to the notice of the Inspector-General of Police any security breach or lapses from these police personnel attached to him till date,” the Police Force added.

    It further described as false the claim that nine Commissioners of Police have served in Rivers State in the last two years, saying the state has had only three since the appointment of the Inspector-General of Police.

    “The first Commissioner of Police was redeployed to a higher duty post when he was promoted to the rank of a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, while the second died after a brief illness on admission at an Indian hospital. The third is the current Commissioner of Police in Rivers State,” the statement read.

  • IG ordered Rivers Police Commissioner to kill me – Wike

    Governor of Rivers, Chief Nyesom Wike has said the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has mandated the Commissioner of Police in the state, Zaki Ahmed to kill him.

    The governor who said this in an interview with The Punch said the commissioner was on a mission to eliminate him.

    Wike said, “He (the CP) told me he is going to do a professional work and I told him, ‘You, a professional work?’ You can’t be independent and can’t do a professional work. The inspector general of police has given him instructions on what to do. The inspector general has told him he must cage the Rivers State governor. He shouldn’t come and tell me he wants to do any professional work. Who is he to say that?”

    Wike said the CP could not have a mind of his own since he was under instructions.

    “Which mind? Before he was posted here, he was told what to do. They don’t post people based on competence but loyalty; someone who will do their bidding. Do you know that we are the only state that has had about nine commissioners of police in just two years?

    “When he (the CP) was going to be sent, there were about three of them that were called, and interviewed. They said they were going to kill me. They took this one who said he would be diplomatic about it. We know. This police commissioner has an agenda; I can’t be deceived. I’m not saying he should go; let him stay. He has been given an assignment to kill me. No problem. No man dies two times.”

    When queried that the IGP couldn’t have ordered a police officer to kill someone, especially a governor, Wike responded by saying, “This inspector general of police said so. Yes, I’m telling you (the truth). The inspector general of police, who removed my security details without letting me know until when I was going out and realised that I had no security personnel. What is the implication of that? When a supposed chief security officer of a state wakes up in the morning and realises that he has no security personnel attached to him, what do you expect? What’s the implication? Danger!”