Former Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has tongue-lashed Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike over his failure to clinch the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite spending a lot of money.
The former Commissioner of Works and 2015 governorship candidate on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state alleged that Wike wasted a total of N30 billion belonging to the state on his failed presidential bid.
Peterside said this in a statement he issued to congratulate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for winning the presidential ticket of the PDP for the 2023 election.
He mocked the Rivers state governor, saying that the victory of Atiku shows that Wike is only a local champion. According to him, Wike lacked the necessary experience to win any election at the national level.
“I suggest that Wike quickly returns home, shades off his toga of pride, and submit himself to Atiku to be tutored on the dynamics of national politics and the angles to hi-wire deals”, he said in the statement.
Peterside also lamented that with Wike’s defeat, the people of Rivers State would be on the receiving end as the Governor allegedly gave away about N10bn of public funds in unsolicited charity to states, and about N20bn in pursuit of his ill-fated presidential bid.
“That Wike could dip his hands that deep into Rivers’ treasury to pursue his vaunting ambition is a confirmation of my earlier assertion that Wike’s governorship represents our all time low moments since the state was created on May 27, 1967.
“I wonder how Wike sleeps at night with Rivers’ pensioners going to bed hungry, and sizeable number not waking up again out of frustration. For his personal ego and ambition, he preferred to lavish billions of naira on delegates than attend to those senior citizens.
“Rivers state is so blessed yet our people are living in untold hardship and experiencing underdevelopment because of Wike’s vision less administration of state resources” Peterside added.
