A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said the prolonged political battle between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his political protégé, Siminalayi Fubara, has had severe consequences on governance, development and economic stability in Rivers State.
Naijaonpoint reports that Eze made the remarks while responding to questions from Daily Post about how the lingering crisis has affected the people and the state’s development.
According to the APC chieftain, the crisis was instigated by Wike under what he described as a false narrative of fighting for the public good.
“The unwarranted power tussle in Rivers State instigated by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a grandiose façade of fighting for the public good… has in no small measure negatively impacted the governance of the state,” Eze said.
He noted that governance in the state was progressing steadily until the declaration of emergency rule by Bola Tinubu, which he said grounded the machinery of government.
“Before the declaration of the state of emergency by President Tinubu, the overall pace of governance and general administration of the state progressed steadily until the wheel of state was grounded to a halt by the removal of the Governor,” he added.
Eze cited the abandonment of major infrastructure projects as one of the immediate impacts of the crisis.
“The Ring Road project, a multi-billion-naira mega road project that connects several local government areas, was abandoned for those months the emergency rule lasted,” he said.
According to him, the disruption altered project timelines and could result in cost variations running into billions of naira, while several other ongoing projects were also affected. He further alleged that the crisis damaged the state’s economy.
“The economy of the state was stifled. Investors were scared away. Jobs were lost, investment opportunities missed, IGR lost, and the government found it difficult to pay salaries, whereas billions were being looted into private purses,” Eze claimed.
The APC chieftain accused Wike of deliberately undermining Rivers State’s progress for political control.
“On a sincere note, the scuffle by Wike to scuttle the progress of Rivers State is a worse thing to do to one’s own state,” he said.
Eze also accused the former governor of destroying projects initiated by his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, including agricultural, educational and security initiatives.
“He made Rivers State a war zone to ensure that the election of 2023 was rigged to satisfy his ego as the strongman of Rivers State politics,” he alleged.
According to Eze, Wike’s insistence on controlling the affairs of the state led to the breakdown of peace after Fubara assumed office.
He said, “He nominated Fubara as Rivers State Governor and the people voted for him, and since then Rivers State had never had any atom of peace because he wanted to control everything and everyone.
“All he wanted was for the Governor to be stocked like a piece of furniture and receive orders and prohibitions.”
He further alleged that Wike wanted to weaken the governor politically ahead of a second-term bid.
“He didn’t want the Governor to work so that he doesn’t return for a second term on merit but on the rigging of Wike. This would make the Governor continue to see him as Lord,” he claimed.
Despite the challenges, Eze commended Governor Fubara for what he described as foresight, while noting that the governor was still struggling to stabilise governance after returning to office.
“The sabotage was massive and yet the distractions have continued though unnecessary,” he said.
He warned that the impact of the crisis would linger. Eze said, “On a scale, the impact of the crisis on governance is huge and the state will grapple with recovery efforts for a long time.”
Eze concluded with a call for divine guidance for the governor. He said, “I pray to God to empower the Governor with the wisdom to navigate the trials of the moment so that the state can bounce back quickly.”