By: Amaechi Okonkwo – Port Harcourt
For the first time in his almost eight-year tenor Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has promised to pay bursaries to students of the state in institutions of higher learning.
He made the promise during the Rivers State student community town hall meeting/interactive session at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt.
The town hall meeting/interactive session was organised by the PDP Rivers State campaign council, directorate of mobilisation, and sub-directorate on student mobilisation.
The Governor insisted that any list of students generated by their leadership must bear the seal of the Vice-Chancellor of their respective institutions.
He disclosed that the bursary would be paid directly into the account of each student in order to ensure no one is short-changed.
He also used the occasion to appoint Mr Soye Maxwell as the Special Assistant on Student Affairs to the Rivers State governor.
The Governor, who used the interactive session to acquaint the students with his numerous developmental achievements, urged them to support the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara in Saturday’s election in order for the state to consolidate the gains of his administration.
He advised the students not to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Tonye Cole, whose company, Sahara Energy was used by the immediate past administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, to embezzle $50M from the Rivers State government account in Access Bank.
Speaking on the outcome of the February 25, Presidential election, Wike said some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors almost thwarted the desire for a southern Nigerian to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
He explained that he contested the PDP presidential primary last year because of his firm belief that the south should produce President Buhari’s successor.
He told the students that he didn’t have a problem with any of them who voted for any of the two major presidential candidates from the south in the just concluded election saying that what mattered most was that presidential power would be shifting from the north to the south of Nigeria at the end of President Buhari’s tenure.
He explained that why the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors adhered to the resolutions reached by southern Nigeria governors in Asaba, Lagos and Enugu respectively, but their PDP counterparts acted otherwise.
“We agreed in Southern Nigeria, all of us as governors, we agreed, we said it doesn’t matter the party you belong to, whether you are in no party, whether you are in a party, whether you are in any organisation, power must come to the south. But we in PDP betrayed ourselves”, Wike stated.
He advised Rivers people to resist any attempt by Amaechi, who squandered over N50B on less than one kilometre abandoned monorail project, to hoodwink them to vote for Cole.
Earlier in his address, Soye Maxwell, who is PDP deputy director, sub directorate on student mobilisation, commended the governor for his administration’s huge investment in the educational sector.
Maxwell assured the governor that Rivers State students will on Saturday vote massively for Sir Siminialayi Fubara for consolidation of the New Rivers vision.
“Sir, this ebullient community of students who are predominantly youths, make bold and dare to say that we are confident, Sir Siminialayi Fubara is a square peg in a square hole. And for that reason, we declare total and full support for him come Saturday, 18 March 2023.
“Your Excellency, your leadership qualities are best defined as that of an Eagle. Eagles are bold fearless, visionary, and tenacious. Eagles have a vision. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until it captures it. Their eyes are specially made for long-distance focus and clarity.
“For 7 whole years, you have kept the New Rivers Vision up and running, which has transformed the infrastructural landscape of our dear state, from the coastal towns of Tombia, Bonny, Opobo even down to the highlands of Ahoada, Etche, Omoku, Ikwerre, Port Harcourt and indeed the 23 LGAs of the State.”
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