Dame Jonathan’s Largesse Deepens Rivers PDP Crisis

Hundreds of women, youth and stakeholders believed to be Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful on Tuesday walked out on wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan’s economic empowerment progrmme in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State for alleged intimidation, marginalisation and diversion of their due dividends of democracy by some Abuja politicians.
The people alleged that, the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike and his subordinates manipulated Dame Jonathan’s empowerment scheme in favour of members of Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI).
The people, who expressed their disapproval in separate interviews with The Tide, said that GDI leaders changed the original list of proposed beneficiaries across the wards in the 21 Local Government Areas, apart from Ogu/Bolo and Okrika who were not part of the 2nd phase of the empowerment scheme to names of Wike’s loyalists in the party.
Apart from that, aggrieved PDP members said the little money given as transport to participants only got to a select group in the GDI while hundreds of people invited, by the party were left with nothing.
Speaking with The Tide a supporter and woman leader from Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Mrs Erembor Poethel Douglas said, she was deceived to participate in the empowerment programme with the promise that her name was on the list.
She explained that, money given out as transport was also not given to them, lamenting that she had to source for money to convey members of her group back to Abonnema, the local government headquarters.
A PDP stakeholder, and former local government Chairmen in the state, told The Tide under anonymity, that he was surprised that the Chairman of PDP in the state, Felix Obuah allowed himself to be used by Wike to turn the party into an arm of GDI.
He said, “what my eyes saw at the empowerment ground, showed that, if one does not support Wike for governorship, he or she is not a member of PDP in the state”.
Also Samuel Ikebulanyi, who claimed to be acting ward Chairman of PDP Ward 6, Oyigbo, said he was restricted from entering the venue of the programme with the original shortlist of proposed beneficiaries by the party elders in the Ward for the empowerment programme.
He said he was tortured and forced to do frog jump by security men at the entrance to the venue of the ceremony when he did not commit  any offence.
He said, that after the humiliation, he was asked to leave the area with the entire members of the Ward  shortlisted to benefit from the scheme.
Meanwhile, the Minister of the State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike has denied the allegation that GDI hijacked the empowerment programme of the First Lady in the state.
Wike, who debunked the allegation in an interview with newsmen at the venue of empowerment programme, said, the selection of the beneficiaries was not based on membership of PDP or GDI, as mothers, widows, and youths irrespective of the political party affiliation benefitted from empowerment programme.
He described those carrying such rumours as political instruments of All Progressives Congress (APC) planted in PDP to undermine and bring to public odium the strides of Dame Patience Jonathan.

Enoch Epelle

Barrister Mike Longe (left) of the Nigeria Immigration Service and Mr Noble James, jointly decorating Mrs Ngonengiye Noble Cookey, during the decoration ceremony of newly promoted officers of the Nigeria Prison Service, Rivers State Command in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Ibioye Diama