The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed why he worked for the removal of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus.
Wike disclosed this on Thursday as a special guest of honour at an end of year thanksgiving organised by the PDP stakeholders in Ahoada East and Ahoada West at Ukpata community in Ekpeye Kingdom of the state.
The thanksgiving was put together by former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chibudum Nwuche; Chairman, Rivers State PDP Elders’ Council, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba; members of House of Representatives from the area, Solomon Bob and Victor Obuzor, and member of the state House of Assembly, Dame Queen Williams.
The Minister disclosed that he kicked Secondus out of office as the PDP National Chairman because he hatched a plot to make his cousin and former deputy governor, Tele Ikuru, Rivers governor in place of Siminalayi Fubara.
He said, “I heard Secondus said the other day in Bori, I awarded the Bori Internal Road. I paid 50 per cent, and thinking that we have a governor that we all agreed to continue, Secondus was saying that his enemies; who are the enemies of the governor?
“Secondus that refused him to be governor.
“I kicked out Secondus as PDP chairman when he wanted to make his cousin Tele Ikuru to be governor.
“Today, he is saying now that we are enemies.
“He was the one who refused the man to be governor. He wanted his cousin to be governor.
“He has now become the governor’s friend and we have now become the enemies. To God be the glory.”
Wike also called Celestine Omehia an “imbecile” for saying that he had attracted nothing to Rivers as a minister.
He said Omehia was stopped from becoming a governor of Rivers through the backdoor, adding that the PDP chieftain lacked knowledge of the functions of an FCT Minister.
The minister said though he could not bring infrastructural projects to Rivers as the FCT Minister, he has been helping Rivers people.
Wike added that no governor had attracted more appointments to his state than him in the present administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“I overheard one imbecile, and let him challenge me, an imbecile Celestine Omehia. I say so that is why when he wanted to occupy government House I kicked him out. We could not have imbecile to be Governor.
“He said they should ask me what have I done for Rivers State. That is why I say he is an imbecile. If he understands that I am not a minister of a ministry, I am a minister of Federal Capital Territory.
“When I was Minister of Education, he would have challenged me: ‘what did you bring to Rivers State?’
“As Minister of Education, I brought Faculty of Law to University of Port Harcourt. I gave grants to Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, I gave grant to Ignatius Ajuru University, I made sure Federal government College, Port Harcourt, Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma; I renovated them to be what a school is supposed to be.
“That is what I thought he should be asking me.Now I am the minister of the FCT, I cannot bring road to Rivers State, I cannot take FCT money to Rivers State but I can help Rivers people. And I have been helping Rivers people.
“Let it be on record that by the instrumentality of Mr President, there is no governor in this state that attracted more political appointments in this state than myself. Go and count it.
“By the instrumentality of Mr President by his grace, by his love for us, he said, go and give me these names for political appointments.
“So, Mr Omehia, are you not aware that Rivers people have more political appointments than even when you are serving somebody? Are you not aware?
“Today, they thought because they have collected what you suffered for, therefore you will die of hunger. You will not die, will you die? You will not die.
“We have been helping Rivers people and we will continue to help Rivers people.”
Also, in his welcome address, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudum Nwuche, commended Wike for his transformational leadership in Abuja and his commitment to the development of Rivers State.
Nwuche praised Wike for completing projects in Abuja that were abandoned for 20 years noting that Wike’s achievements in Abuja are a testament to his capacity and leadership skills.
Nwuche also expressed the gratitude of the people of Ekpeye to Wike for the numerous projects he initiated in the area during his tenure as Governor of Rivers State and assured him that the people of Ekpeye were solidly behind him, despite the noise from critics.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Wike as Minister of the FCT, saying it was a wise decision that has yielded positive results.
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