RSG Dismisses Wike’s Claims On Six Commissioners

The Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Emmanuel Chinda has dismissed as political propaganda, claims by the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, that six serving Commissioners in Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration would resign and dump the All progressives Congress before December to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Hon. Chinda, who dispelled the claims with newsmen in Port Harcourt, described it as a calculated attempt by the Minister to curry favour from PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as raise false hope for members of the PDP in the State.
He described Chief Wike as a “frustrated betrayer”, who spreads baseless rumours across the state and Nigeria in general with the aim of making himself relevant.
According to him, the Minister would soon betray President Goodluck Jonathan, if he is not given what he wants before 2015.
He described as baseless, Wike’s claims on the six serving Commissioners and a calculated political propaganda to encourage few members with him to continue to be steadfast in PDP.
Chinda called on the Rivers people to disregard the propaganda by Wike, saying that, there was no plan by any serving Commissioners in Governor Amaechi’s cabinet to resign until the tenure ends in 2015, adding that there was no plan also for any of them to join the PDP even after the tenure.
He said the Minister and his loyalists have been making such claims as “Amaechi must go”, and former Council Chairmen would join PDP after the dissolution of local government councils across the state”, but added that till date, nothing in that direction has happened.
Chinda stressed that, all serving Commissioners, the 25 pro-Amaechi lawmakers in the state, past Council Chairmen, and the present CTC executives, among others, are strong supporters of Governor Amaechi and APC, saying that nothing would make them go back to PDP.
He described PDP in the state as a party without vision.
It would be recalled that, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike had last Wednesday at First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan’s economic empowerment programme in Port Harcourt announced that, six serving Commissioners in Governor Amaechi’s Cabinet would soon resign and decamp to PDP before December 2014.
Wike also explained that the Commissioners still remained part of the administration because of the financial benefit they were getting before from the government.
Wike further boasted that, the Commissioners recently gave him hints of their preparedness to dump Governor Amaechi, claiming that they were ready to work with him (Wike) come 2015 elections in the state.

Enoch Epelle

L-R: Minister of State for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan; Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and Minister of State 2 for Foreign Affairs, Mr Nurudeen Mohammed, briefing Heads of Foreign Missions in Nigeria on Ebola Virus in Abuja, yesterday