Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has swiftly reacted to the compulsory retirement of 14 Permanent Secretaries in the Civil Service of the Rivers State Government by Gov. Nyesom Wike, describing it as a needless act of vendetta.
The APC in a statement issued on Saturday by Chris Finebone, its State Publicity Secretary, said it “considers the sudden retirement of these exemplary senior civil servants as a vindictive act by Governor Nyesom Wike. Whereas these individuals toiled to keep the civil service of the State, which is the engine room of government, working for the good of the people, Nyesom Wike has decided to punish them for doing their legitimate duties as civil servants.
The state APC pointed out that; “Instead of acknowledging and rewarding them with recognition, the vengeful governor decided to summarily send them away on compulsory retirement just to exact needless pound of flesh.”APC said
The party went further to state that the APC similarly notes that Governor Wike has formally shut down the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA).
“Instead of the governor tasking his intellect for once to find an acceptable solution to the matter or doing the very basic thing of paying the seven months salaries owed the RSSDA workers from the numerous bank loans he has collected, he rather chose the primitive option of closing down the agency and had the shameless audacity to formally announce the mean decision yesterday.”APC stated.
All Permanent Secretaries affected were, at one point or the order, appointed during the eight years of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi.