2023: Rivers Govt Justifies Clampdown On Political Opponents

By Ojimaojo Yunus

The Rivers State government has said it did not do any wrong in it’s decision to clampdown on those plotting with the opposition to tarnish its image and that of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike before Nigerians.

Recall that state government recently revoked the Certificate of Occupancy of a land belonging to Senator Lee Maeba, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and close ally of the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Chris Finebone, said the government would continue to uncover and destroy all evil plots against it by those opposed to it.

Finebone said: “Government is aware of several plots by elements of the opposition and their friends to distract and possibly cause disharmony in the government through all sorts of issues.

“Government will continue to uncover, reconstruct and render all such evil plots impotent, to allow the continued the development of Rivers State without hindrance as being demonstrated by the Wike-led administration.

“Recently, there were attempts by some persons to use disinformation and misinformation to tarnish the image of the governor of Rivers State before Nigerians.

“It is important to state when a friend decides to turn to an enemy, he or she has voluntarily relinquished what relative friendship brings. You cannot call off a friendship and still expects the largesse that accrues from the friendship to be available to you. Who does that?”

He stated that the state government would from November 14, 2022 bring another phase of commissioning of landmarks project embarked upon and completed by the Wike-led administration.

The Information Commissioner said: “Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike will continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to Rivers people. You will recall that the governor last week approved the working sun of N78 billion for the payment of various ongoing landmark projects.

“This is unprecedented in our country. The truth remains that no other state government has done this before at the twilight of it’s tenure.

“But, if you think the governor was wrong, you need to hear this; in the coming days, more specifically from November 14, the state government will spend the next 17 days commissioning landmark projects, which include the Dr. Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease, Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, the Nabo Graham-Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt, amongst several other landmark projects. Details of the commissioning programme will soon be announced.”