The Inter-ethnic Network for Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, INCRA, describes as the height of profligacy and imprudence, Gov. Wike's recent pleasure trip to Spain with a large retinue to watch the La-Liga match between FC Barcelona and their rival Athletico Madrid on taxpayers' money amidst frightening economic squeeze and budget crunch.
Only recently, the State Government received a whooping sum of N12.45 Billion from the Federation Account being its share of the statutory allocation for the month of September 2017. Rather than channel these funds into meaningful projects or payment of salaries owed workers in the State, the Governor elected to embark on a jamboree trip with his clique of friends at the expense of the poor and innocent masses.
This is the second time in a very short interval that the Governor has embarked on such futile and unreasonable journey that does not attract any economic boon or advantage to the State with an oversized entourage. It is mind-boggling that the Governor can afford to fritter away scarce resources on trivials in far away Spain while more important and pressing issues that require government's attention and actions are left unattended.
Civil servants in the State are owed salaries running into months. In fact, the State Government is presently owing staff of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, RSSDA, 24 Months salaries while Pensioners are in pains in their closets ruing the day the Wike-led government came on board. Despite all the enormous funds received from the Federal Government as statutory allocations and bailouts, the Governor has without reason, refused to pay workers in the State.
Spending over N400 Million on such futility while workers are being owed and made to work below required standards without the perquisites of their job is a breach of the trust and confidence reposed on the government by the people and a rupture on common sense. It is pertinent to remind the Governor that the State is not his personal empire, he is only holding our collective resources on trust and must be accountable to the people.
If the government discreetly applies such heavy funds, it would have empowered 800 youths and women of Rivers State with at least N500,000 each to set up a small scale business; it would have sponsored over 1500 Students on local scholarship through an academic year; it would have provided numerous relief materials to victims of flood in the State who have been rendered homeless; it would have aided the government combat the ravaging menace of insecurity in the State thereby, bringing the needless loss of lives of citizens to an end; it also would have paid salary arrears of two years owed staff of RSSDA or Pensioners in the State instead of lavishing it on a senseless trip.
Sadly, the government is blind to economic development and capacity building, it has an allergy to youth and women empowerment, it is bereft of ideas and programs that engenders growth and creates an enabling environment on which meaningful developmental activities can thrive, it is insensitive to the plight of the masses and does not have the interest of the people at heart.
We restate our position that the overall interest of Rivers State supercedes personal gains and aspirations. The Governor must quit his wild goose chase and treat the business of governance with the seriousness and diligence it deserves. We and the rest of other well-meaning Rivers people are fed up with the State government's lack of purpose and vision. Government has been reduced to a ridiculous enterprise fit only for knaves and miscreants.
With his N25 Billion mansion currently sitting on a stretch of land acquired for N800 Million along Ada-George road in his hometown and his frequent trips abroad for private engagements, we are compelled to ask where is the place of the masses in his programs and plans?
The Governor ought to understand that governance is not a pageant and must therefore, put an end to all these unnecessary political exhibitionism and pageantry and face the call of governance.
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