President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to honour Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State with “Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery” at the forthcoming Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Award, did not sit well with Rotimi Amaechi and his followers in Rivers State.
The former minister of transportation who had visited the the president at the Villa shortly before the nomination of Wike demanded to see Buhari again to express his displeasure over the development, but he was told his request to see the president cannot be granted now.
Sources close to APC National Secretariat hinted that, having failed to see the president; Mr. Amaechi took his protestations to the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu.
Amaechi told Adamu that honouring Wike is insensitive to the plights of Rivers APC members and a big blow to their quest to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State. He lamented that they have been ‘neglected’ by the presidency in spite of their ‘contribution’ to the emergence of President Buhari.
In his words: “I know the sacrifice I paid for this party in 2014 and 2015. Many people in Rivers State do not want to remember what I did as governor, all they talk about is the role I played in the defeat of Jonathan in 2015. They call me a traitor because I supported PMB against GEJ, but what do I get in return? Complete neglect for the people I lead and total disregard for our efforts to make us capture Rivers State.
“Vice President Osinbajo came to Rivers State and christened Wike Mr. Projects, several APC governors, ministers, and senators have been coming to the state to heep praises on him, none of them even stopped by to greet their own supposed party members in the state.
“We are still talking about that one, the federal government that we worked for has decided to confer a distinguished award on a man who has done everything to subdue our membership growth in the state.
“President Buhari is a father whom I respect so much and I trust his judgement, it is unfortunate that some persons around him who do not mean well for our party are giving him bad advice,” Amaechi lamented.
Senator Abdullahi Adamu, APC National Chairman agreed with most of the issues raised by Mr. Amaechi and promised to present them to the president in due course.
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday, October 21 present the award to Governor Wike at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
Wike has been widely known for his infrastructure strides in Rivers State, particularly the pace at which he starts and completes these projects.