Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has fired subtle salvos at his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, over what he termed as the “I” projects executed by Mr Wike.
Mr Wike, now the FCT minister, while serving as governor of the oil-rich Rivers State, had built a cancer hospital and named it after one of his predecessors, Peter Odili, whom he had fondly referred to as his political father.
His administration had also built a judicial institute and named it after Mr Odili’s wife, Mary, a retired Supreme Court judge.
But after falling out with the Odilis over what a former commissioner for water resources in the state, David Brigss attributed to Mr Odili’s refusal to support the plot to remove Governor Fubara from office by pro-Wike lawmakers, Mr Wike a few weeks ago, addressed supporters in Port Harcourt and made unfriendly remarks about the Odilis.
“I built the cancer centre (hospital) in record time by the best construction company, Julius Berger, and I named it after one man,” Mr Wike said, apparently referring to Mr Odili.
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“I built the judiciary institute and I named it after one woman,” Mr Wike said, referring to Mr Odili’s wife, Mary, a remark that has triggered outrage among Rivers State residents. Hi
Speaking on Thursday in Ndoni, the country home of Mr Odili, during the commissioning of a 20-bed primary healthcare facility built and donated by Mr Odili through his PAMO Educational Foundation, Governor Fubara threw several subtle jabs at Mr Wike.
The event was live streamed on Facebook.
The governor made his remarks shortly after Mr Odili’s speech, who at the ceremony declared the governor as the political leader of the state having secured electoral victories through the ballots and the courts.
While commending the donor, the governor said he was surprised that Mr Odili did not tag the project as “I” despite being so.
“Let me thank this wonderful family. Our leader (Mr Odili). It is the best because you are doing it when you’re not in office. The ones I’m doing now are public funds. But the one that we are commissioning today is an ‘I’. I’m even surprised that you didn’t use the word ‘I’, so I dash you the word, take am – ‘I’.
You’ve dug pit for yourselves, Fubara told Rivers LG chairpersons
Speaking further, Mr Fubara expressed surprise that the chairperson of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area was present at the occasion, saying all the council chairpersons in the state had been boycotting state functions.
The 23 council chairpersons were elected during the tenure of Mr Wike as governor, and majority of them are in solidarity with the FCT minister whose relationship with Governor Fubara turned sour, a few months after Mr Fubara became governor.
“I will not end without saying this. I’m surprised that I saw the chairperson of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.
“Because I know for a very long time now any events that have to do with the state government, all the local government chairmen as it were don’t participate.
“I hope when he leaves here they are not going to sack him. Let me say it here, everyone of you who thinks you are disrespecting me. You’ve already dug your pit. For those of you who have chosen a contrary path of political salvation, safe journey.
“We’ll flow in a direction that we’ll get to our destination to make our people proud.
“They say we’re clueless. If providing quality education and healthcare services is being clueless, then we agree, but we will not do roads to our farms. We’ll not do roads to please somebody. It’s not about the roads and the flyovers but the people,” the governor said.
Recounting how people in his community, Opobo, were travelling to Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State for medical treatment because the hospital in the areas was not functioning, Governor Fubara threw more jabs at Mr Wike, who had been displaying various dance styles while commissioning projects in the state as then-governor.
“Let me share this story with you. When I was about to be (governorship candidate), when they say they gave me the ticket – in my place, the General Hospital, Opobo was abandoned. (People) on social media were always attacking me – ‘You want to be governor but you don’t have healthcare service in your place’. They took kids to Ikot Abasi (Akwa Ibom State) for treatment. Is it not shameful?
“Do you know what I did? I had to personally, with the help of friends, put that hospital in place. It was with the help of friends that we put that hospital (in place) to start functioning.
“There is a royal father here. I don’t want to mention his name. He lost his son because there weren’t any functional healthcare services in his place.
“So people don’t know the importance of healthcare services. It is not an issue to go and build something and call the people to come and commission, you dance but it is not working,” Mr Fubara said.
He thanked Mr Odili for donating the hospital and urged the people of the community to protect it.
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