Rivers PDP faults APC criticism of Gov Wike over N10bn loan

(Nigeria) Chairman, Rivers State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Felix Obuah, has said it was disappointing and naive for All Progressives Congress, APC, to criticize the well-intended action of Governor Ezenwo Wike taking advantage of the Federal Government bailout of N10billion for the development of the state.

He said that  even as the governor has unmistakably given reasons for the bailout which is the payment of the salaries of the state civil servants and pensioners, the APC’s disapproval of the effort of the governor on the borrowing in its usual ilk was unproductive and born out of grudges for the continued defeats it has suffered in the hands of the PDP in all elections in the state.

The PDP explained that there was no gainsaying the fact that the APC was resolute in engaging in senseless criticisms of the policies of the Nyesom Wike-led PDP government in Rivers State, otherwise, it should have acknowledged the unambiguous clarification on the subject as captured in the letter of the governor to the Rivers State House of Assembly on the intent for accessing the bailout fund.

“The party is of the view that the APC should rather be grateful to Governor Wike for his prudent and accountable management of the resources of the state against the backlog he met,” maintaining that all Rivers people, including those doing business in the state can feel the air of a new dawn and purposeful governance in the state.

The PDP observed that Governor Wike, unlike his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi, is a well versed and disciplined administrator, determined to save Rivers State from reckless misappropriation of public resources, as it was the case under the Amaechi administration.

It emphasized that the APC has the penchant for mischief-making or else it should have arisen within its recollection that all the APC controlled States have accessed bailout funds from the APC-led Federal Government for not less than three times while the Rivers State Government has not received any, stressing that the APC States were now still complaining of not being able to pay salaries, waiting cap in hand to have more from the Federal Government.

“The Chibuike Amaechi-led APC government in Rivers State owed the civil service workers well over seven  months salaries which Governor Wike in his distinctive compassion and love for the Rivers people paid off and cleared other outstanding debts incurred by the Amaechi administration. “Surprisingly, the APC did not see anything wrong in all these reckless spending and unnecessary borrowing by the President Buhari administration, despite of all the stolen funds it claimsto have recovered.

“The PDP, as a responsible party, would not want to join issues with the APC, except on constructive notes in which case we would want the APC understand some morsel of governance, asking that if the issue of travelling to Europe or outside the country implies wasting of fund, between President Muhammadu Buhari, Amaechi, as governor and Governor Wike, who is the most prudent? From available impeccable records, President Buhari, in less than one year, has spent three times the sum Goodluck Jonathan spent in four years on foreign trips and the running of the Presidency.

“The party therefore, demands explanations from the APC on Buhari’s frequent non-productive foreign trips in the face of the present economic quagmire the country is facing. What did the APC say when Amaechi, as governor of Rivers State, paid for university scholarship for all the graduating Secondary School students of a private school in Niger State, while the Rivers State students he sent abroad on scholarship were being sent out of schools for not paying tuition fees? Where does the moral strength stem, when the APC leaders watch Amaechi waste the State funds on the unproductive monorail and other failed projects in the State?

“The PDP believes the APC leadership therefore, does not have the moral justification to question the governor on accessing the federal government bailout funds, especially when he has given clear and substantial reasons for the action.

“The party also calls on Rivers people and all Nigerians to ignore the APC’s criticism of the legitimate request and approval of the loans application by the State Governor and the State House of Assembly respectively, as it is done in the interest of the state,” he added.