Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has called Chibuike Amaechi, the former minister of transportation, a complete failure.
In his remarks at the opening of the renovated former Riv Bank Insurance building in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday, Wike made this clear.
In seven years as a member of the Federal cabinet, the former Minister, according to Wike, failed to bring any significant projects to the State. Wike suggested that the man should cover his face in shame and refrain from discussing Rivers politics.
Wike responded to the former minister’s claims that the late Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, who was buried last weekend, was denied a state funeral by the Rivers State administration.
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“We took all of your people. Once more, nobody is in your party. Because of your bad leadership, why not manage and keep quiet?
“Tell Rivers State people, as Minister of Transportation, what did you do for your people? We have not seen anyone in Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.”
“Tell us, as a grade A minister, what you brought. You think you can deceive Rivers State again?”
“I saw you people have brought politics to the man’s burial. I said, ok, let me withdraw myself. I don’t want to be involved in this kind of politics.”
Wike stated that if people had gone to bury the dead, they would have focused on that mission of honoring the dead and involved him in the talks around the event.
“Let me use this opportunity to say that I am very disappointed that the former minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will still come to the state to talk about this government not giving late Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas a state burial.
“It is unfortunate. I asked him, when Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was sick, where were you? This State government committed so much amount of money to make sure Chief Alabo survived. I want to challenge anybody, we did not spend less than N50m (Fifty Million Naira) to make sure our elder statesman survive. It was survival we wanted, we wanted him to be alive. When his late son had an accident, and was flown to London, this State government bore the cost. Go and ask people.”
Wike bragged that he founded the Oil and Gas Polytechnic in Bonny and drew the Faculty of Law to the University of Port Harcourt while still a young minister.
While renovating various secondary schools in Rivers State, he also provided grants to Ignatius Ajuru University and Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic in Bori.
According to Wike, Amaechi refused to honour the deceased when he was still living by denying Graham-Douglas’ desire to upgrade the customary Abonnema stool to first class and build an Abonnema ring road.
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Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas requested your assistance in building the ring road in Abonnema so that when we have a need, we won’t have to park on one road, but Amaechi refused to do it. I finished.
“When Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was alive, he told Amaechi, why not do this Trans-Kalabari Road? He did not do it. I am the one doing it. So, who is the man who loves Alabo and has made him more happy?
“That was how he pulled down our general hospital that he was going to build Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital. Justice Karibi Whyte died and he never saw one block you laid.”
“Before Elechi Amadi died, you said you are going to build Faculty of Humanities in his honour. That one, you tried to lay block, but you abandoned it. I came and completed that building. Even when everybody knows you have interest in his family.
“For a man you professed you loved, there was no route to Captain Elechi Amadi’s house when he passed away. I arrived and dispatched MCC to travel that route. That route was finished, and Captain Elechi Amadi was laid to rest in that manner. Therefore, Amaechi should be ashamed of himself.
