...Describes Attack On Caverton As Bad
Business For Rivers Economy, Welfare Of Rivers People
...Accuses Wike and His Allies in APC as
Behind the Comatose State of Rivers APC
Former
National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People's Democratic Party and
chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has
described the purported palliative measures put in place by the Rivers State
government to cushion the effect of the COVID -19 lockdown as a serious
embarrassment to the sensibilities of the good people of Rivers State.
In a
statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, Eze maintained that
Rivers people deserve more than 3 cups of rice, few cups of garri and a sachet
of noodle as palliative for each family after budgeting a whopping sum of Two
Billion Naira (N2B) in this regard.
According
to the party Chief, "the State Government food palliative intervention
through its Committee headed by His Excellency, Ambassador Desmond Akawo the
newly elected PDP State Chairman though targeted mainly to PDP members, are 3
cups of rice; 5 cups of garri; one satchet of noodles(indomie) for a
family".
"I
would suggest that rather than humiliate and embarrass PDP members and
citizens in such brazen manner and turn them to mere beggars, it would have
been best the government and its agents kept their money and allowed markets to
open for free commerce. Families can fend for themselves above such humiliating
and ridiculous degree to which the state has subjected them". Eze
stressed.
Chief Eze
blasts the State Government for excluding the APC faithful from the palliative
intervention and further stated that the action of the State government
has further exposed the ineptitude and recklessness of the PDP administration
in attending and addressing issues of critical importance like public welfare
etc.
On the
closure of operation of Caverton Helicopters in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka
Eze frowned at the declaration of Gov. Wike, stressing that such is ultra
vires the powers of any state government as aviation and incidental matters are
exclusive preserve of the Federal Government at the exclusion of any state
including Rivers State.
Gov. Wike
had on last Wednesday, declared Caverton Helicopters a personal non grata thus
"For endangering the lives of Rivers people by its suspicious operations,
the Rivers State Government has declared Caverton Helicopters, Persona Non
Grata in the state".
In a
State Broadcast on Wednesday, Gov. Wike also directed Local Government Council
Chairmen to close the Offices of Caverton Helicopters across the state.
The
governor went further to say that by its actions Caverton Helicopters have
clearly shown that Rivers lives do not matter to it. It is an enemy of Rivers
people and is hereby declared persona non grata in Rivers State.
Frowning
at the development Chief Eze said the governor would have opted for a more
pragmatic approach to handling the issue rather than making inciting
pronouncements to heat up the polity.
He said
subjecting the pilots and air passengers to screening to determine their
COVID-19 status would have been enough measure rather than charging them to
court for carrying out lawful orders of the Federal Government to save the
nation's economy.
He
counselled the governor to be a bit more civil by considering granting
the detainees freedom to avoid throwing the economy of the state into
further distress.
Recall
that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had threatened to shut down all air
operations to and fro Port Harcourt if the state government fails to release
the detained pilots and in solidarity, the United Labour Congress has issued
similar warning to shut down operations of service providers under its overage
should government continue to keep Caverton Helicopters' Pilots under custody.
Chief Eze
appealed to Gov. Wike to reconsider his ill decisions and actions and
immediately release the pilots to save the state and her people from perpetual
lockdown, stressing that the people and the state economy will suffer more
should AON and ULC put their threats into effect.
Eze noted
with sadness over the swiftness of the arrest and speedy throwing into
detention of the two Caverton Pilots by the Judiciary based on the Governor's
influence, Nigerians can now see the biased nature of the Rivers judiciary of
doing whatever the Governor wants them to do. This was one of the many reasons
why APC couldn't produce even a councilor in Rivers State during the last
general elections. The Presidency and indeed Nigerians should now see what APC
in Rivers State is suffering in the hands of Governor Wike in collaborating
with well known internal enemies of APC to keep the APC in Rivers State in
perpetual comatose state.
Eze
quoted another chieftain of the APC, Chibuike Ikenga, as saying that under Gov.
Wike, every policy, decision, order, proclamation etc are not well thought out
for the good of the masses or for the overall wellbeing of the state/citizens
but well crafted or rehearsed for egocentric enhancements.
Chief
Ikenga further stated that from the outset, "his programs are geared
towards self aggrandizement and political profiteering. The personalization of
governance in the state points to the same direction of a totalitarian and
despotic regime under democracy.
Eze
commended the Churches in Rivers State for rejecting the temporary
relaxation of the lockdown order for religious activities by Governor Wike
which forced the Governor to cancel his earlier ill advised idea in this regard
that would have endangered the lives of Rivers State people.
Eze
pleads with the Governor to drop the Emperor toga and relate as friends with
members of his State Executive so that they can build up the confidence to
advise him wisely on how to handle some critical and sensitive issues
pertaining to governance and should also consult widely each time critical
decisions, especially those touching on law and citizens' welfare are to be
taken to save him from policy somersaults associated with his administration.
Signed
Chief Eze
Chukwuemeka Eze
APC
Chieftain & former National Publicity Secretary, nPDP
14–
04 – 20
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