Acting President Yemi Osinbajo (m) , Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (l) and Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo during the Commissioning of Chokocho-Umuechem-Ozuzu road and Chokocho -Igbo-Etche-Rumuokurushi Inter- Change on Thursday by the Acting President.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Less 24 hours after the Acting President Yomi Osibanjo visited Rivers to commission Indorama Eleme Fertilizer plant  and some road projects, another round of  verbal war has broken out between the State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Nyesom Wike and the People Democratic Party, PDP.

APC applauds the Acting President for personally commissioning the plant as the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Limited remains perhaps the nation’s most viable privatization scheme undertaken by the federal government.

But Wike had alleged that his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi who was on the Acting President’s entourage and the APC pressured Osibanjo not commission Rumuokoro Market and Park and others lined up for him before leaving for Abuja.

But in a swift response on Friday, APC said Wike should understand that no President in Nigeria goes about commissioning local government projects such as markets and garages, stressing that the Acting President, pressed for time, managed to commission the only two road projects that appeared to be of some significance – the Chokocho-Igbo-Etche-Rumuokurushi Road and Chokocho-Umuechem-Ozuzu Road.

“Ordinarily, we expect Gov. Wike to show appreciation that the Acting President squeezed in the commissioning of those two projects into his very tight schedule and not accuse the Acting President and APC of playing politics. If anyone played politics over the visit, it was Gov. Nyesom Wike. We urge him to take the advice of the Acting President that public office holders should pay more attention to governance than playing politics.

“The Governor should have cleared the projects he wanted commissioned with the office of the Acting President prior to commencing his media propaganda instead he put the cart before the horse. Instead of taking the blame for mismanaging the process and deliberately lying to the people, he resorted to blaming the APC. Gov Wike should own up that his attempt to continue fooling the people crashed in his face this time around.

Also Read: Drama as Osinbajo brings Amaechi, Wike together in P/Harcourt (Photos)

The party which said this in a statement issued by Chris Finebone, its Publicity Secretary pointed out that initially, Wike and PDP told Rivers people that the Acting President was visiting Rivers State to commission his projects.

“They never mentioned the fertilizer plant at Eleme. On the other hand, APC told Rivers people that the major assignment the Acting President was coming to perform in Rivers State was the commissioning of the ultra-modern world-class fertilizer plant built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited.”

It will be recalled that speaking while commissioning the Rukpokwu –Aluu Road and Rumuokoro Market and Park in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area after the departure of the Acting President on Thursday, Wike said Rivers people must take note of those who are bent on frustrating development in the state.

Governor Wike said: “They are annoyed that our projects are being commissioned. Their anger will not stop us from delivering projects for our people.

“We wrote to the Acting President to visit Rivers State to commission a number of projects on the 19th July, 2017. We got a response that due to his crowded schedule that day was not feasible.  They gave us 27th July.  The advance team came in yesterday and said there is also the commissioning of Indorama.

“I heard on the radio that the other party wrote the Acting President saying that the commissioning of projects make us shine. They have forgotten that we shine because God is with us and the numerous projects that we execute for our people “.

At the Rukpokwu-Aluu road, the governor told the people that during the campaign he made two promises which he has fulfilled.

Also see Wike: APC stopped Osibanjo from commissioning my projects