Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has urged President Bola Tinubu and the Senate to reverse the confirmation of former Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as minister and instead follow the recommendations of the European Union (EU) observatory on the conduct of the 2023 general election in Rivers State.
This is because he said that Wike’s nomination as a minister and subsequent screening and approval by the Senate, along with 45 other nominees, was an insult to decency because the facts about him don’t make him a good enough person for such a job.
In a statement that was given to Leadership in Port Harcourt yesterday, Eze said that it was disappointing that the President didn’t listen to the many reports and fact-based opinions that said the former governor wasn’t qualified to hold public office in Nigeria today. This included security checks on him by the DSS, which came back with damaging reports that were strong enough to put him in jail.
The leader of the APC said, “The European Union (EU) Election Observatory report for the 2023 election singled out the former Governor for indictment because of his deliberate disrespect and flagrant disobedience to existing laws, as well as his uncouth desperation and crude engagements, which made fun of Nigeria’s reputation around the world and gave the country an electoral embarrassment.”
“Such a demand at a time when the country is trying to fix its image after the election and regain its credibility in the eyes of the rest of the world is, to say the least, ridiculous.”
Eze also said that during Wike’s eight years as governor, he was unable to bring in any money from abroad. He said that the only money he got was from the federal government in Abuja.
He said, “It is sad to remember that during Wike’s miserable eight-year rule as Governor, he was unable to bring in any foreign money, not even a single dollar. His government was completely dependent on federal funds from Abuja.”
“During that time, the state made no investments at all. He ignored all of the basic things that needed to be fixed for the state to grow. Instead, he put all of his energy into building 12 overhead bridges at very high costs and with a lot of attention from the media. It was the biggest media show in history, just to get cheap fame.
“What do you think of a man who brags so much about overhead bridges as lasting projects in this age of technology? Those overpasses are the only thing he can point to as a success during his time as Governor.
“The Mother and Child Hospital that he built has been locked up for a long time now. The Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Treatment Center has been able to figure out what’s wrong with children. The grass is taking over that place. He stole so much money from the state, and I don’t know what the EFCC is doing right now.”