The Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, said the party’s attention has been drawn to a statement by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike that “despite the propaganda being sponsored by the opposition, Rivers State is safe for investments and development.”
The governor was reported to have made the statement while speaking to the leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors Saturday. He is quoted to have said: “It is important for everyone to know that Rivers State is safe and is witnessing massive development. In the next two months, we are hosting many national events. We have already hosted several national events in the last two months.”
The APC in a statement signed by its spokesman, Senibo Chris Finebone believed that that statement by the governor is poles apart from reality on the ground. Therefore, we would like the governor to make public just 5 of the new investments that have flowed into Rivers State since he became governor May 29, 2015. We have not asked for 10, we are asking him to name 5 new investments that have been established in Rivers State.
The statement reads: “The APC takes exception to serial dishonest and misleading narratives relentlessly pushed into public space by the top echelon of the Rivers State Government. This may have been fashionable in the dark ages but definitely disgusting in the 21st Century.
“The truth remains that the PDP government in Rivers State must take responsibility for the present security basket case across the State and do the needful to stamp out insecurity just like the previous state government led by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi fought the scourge to a standstill up to May, 2015.
“It is pertinent to inform the governor that external investors whether foreign or Nigerian have faster, wider and more honest reach when it comes to gathering security information of various locations of interest to them. It will amount to self-ridicule to tell them something different from what they have better knowledge about.
“Again, the governor must discard the outdated idea that using millions of Rivers taxpayers’ money to buy and host all manner of events in Rivers State will automatically depict Rivers State as the Eldorado and ultimate peace haven sought for by all. It is not true! The only thing that will transform Rivers State into an investor’s paradise is the conceptualisation and implementation of an altruistic security plan anchored on zero-tolerance for criminality as espoused by the last Amaechi administration in the State.”