Amaechi, Not Peter Odili’s Equivalent –PDP Tells APC

 

…Flays Claims on Development in Rivers

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State Chapter, describes the All Progressives Congress’ statement about Gov. Rotimi Amaechi’s projects and development in the State as untrue and misleading, saying most of the projects the APC government lays claim to were initiated and completed by the former Governor, Dr Peter Odili.

This was contained in a statement made available to Naija Center News, NCN, Jerry Needam, Special Adviser, on Media to State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi

The PDP says the few over blown and extravagantly funded selective projects executed by Gov. Amaechi cannot be compared to the widely applaudable and enduring development legacies of Dr Peter Odili, who bequeathed to Rivers people what even the present administration in the State finds it difficult to match with.

The Party also disagrees with Rivers APC Chairman, Mr Davies Ikanya and his messenger, Mr Eze Chukuwemeka Eze, an Ebonyi man, who knows nothing about Rivers State, portraying the facilities at the so-called Greater Port Harcourt city as those only obtainable in modern cities of Europe as a grave shame which exposes their ignorance and local mentality, explaining that the state of facilities and edifices in known Europe countries cannot be compared to those of Amaechi’s political city.

The PDP again faults the APC for describing Gov Amaechi as an icon of democracy and an embodiment of development, wondering why such claim when no tangible development project is going on in the State presently, even as he (Amaechi) has abandoned State affairs and the few development initiatives he made before joining the APC and which have been paralyzed following his persistent unchecked trips outside the State for his selfish political ambition.

On the claim of rescuing Rivers State from the hands of militants, the PDP says, rather than acting in that direction, what the Governor is seen to be doing is handing over the State to cultists and militants, whom he intends to use as political thugs/mercenaries in the forth coming elections in the State. This, the Party could confirm, is evident in the continuous release from detention of over 75 youths, who were being prosecuted by the Rivers State Police Command for various criminal charges, including militancy, cultism and other social vices in the State.

While urging the APC to show records of professed improvement in Economic investment in the State, the PDP says apart from foreign contractors, the like of the German agent, who arranged the fraudulent Train the Trainers Vocational programme of the State Ministry of Education, in conjunction with the German Chamber of Craft, during which some Rivers youths were deceptively drafted to Germany supposedly for vocational training, but brought back after three weeks, frustrated.

According to the PDP, Port Harcourt assuming World Book Capital status was not the efforts of the Amaechi-APC administration, as it was the result of the collective efforts of all PDP team players from the regime of Dr Peter Odili before he (Amaechi) defected to the APC.

To also set the records straight, the PDP explains that the Amaech’s theoretical Free Education and the Free Health Care programmes in the State initiated by Dr Peter Odili and inherited by him (Amaechi) have completely failed and non-functional in all the schools and health centres in the State under his administration. The Party notes that evidence abound that students and pupils in State owned schools are compelled to pay various sums as fees for books, uniforms, use of the limited facilities and for Examinations and Sporting activities which the Governor claims are being funded by the State, contrary to Dr Odili’s idea, when the programme was initiated.

Also worrisome, is the non and delayed payment of salaries to the newly recruited teachers in Rivers State.

Still on the health sector, the PDP describes the situation as pathetic, saying, apart from the non-operational state of the Free Health Care programme, there is evident dearth of facilities and absence of drugs, medical aids, and personnel in State owned health institutions all over the State.

It is an indisputable fact that the Dr Peter Odili’s Health Care Programme was absolutely free, non fraudulent and successful, without hindrances.

The PDP further flays APC’s position on job creation in Rivers State, disclosing that the 50,000 job offers being laid claim to by the Rivers State Government are actually opportunities provided on the SURE-P Scheme, which is a federal government initiated and well funded program, carried out in the various States of the federation.

Surprised that the APC could be so careless and insensitive to the plights of Landlords and Staff of both the Banana and the Songhai Farms, the PDP observes that in addition to the poor remuneration of N25,000 per month to each staff of the Songhai Farm, the Ogoni Landowners of the Banana farm are on daily basis recounting their woes and anguish over the wrongful grabbing of their land, a situation which prompted the Ogoni communities to drag the Governor and the Rivers State Government before the National Human Rights Commission.

The PDP says rather than commending the Governor, thereby giving him wrong impression on the state of power supply in the State, the APC should better advise him to genuinely commit himself and the huge financial resources of the State to improve on the epileptic power supply in almost every part of Rivers State, noting that most of the communities in the State are now using Solar powered-light installed by Federal Government agencies, like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The Rivers State chapter of the People Democratic Party, PDP also charges the APC to impress on Amaechi the need to provide potable drinking water, as all public taps are dried up in Rivers State, and rise to the challenges of bad roads across the State.

The PDP also urges Amaechi to save Rivers people from criminals with the billions of naira monthly security votes he receives by securing lives and property, following increasing cases of killings, kidnappings, armed robberies and cultism in Rivers State.

Amaechi, Not Peter Odili’s Equivalent –PDP Tells APC