Ex-IYC Boss Berates Sobomabo Jackrich For Criticising Wike

A former Kalabari Clan Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Prince Sobrasua Odum, has come out in defence of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, over a recent comment credited to the Leader of the Kengema Unity Forum, Sobomabo Jackrich, popularly known as Egberipapa, who demanded transparency in the construction of the Trans-Kalabari Road Project.
Jackrich had while declaring his intention to contest the 2023 Governorship Election in Rivers State, criticised Wike, and demanded transparency in the Trans-Kalabari Road Project.
Reacting to the criticism, Odum said that Jackrich has no moral justification whatsoever to demand transparency or accountability from the Rivers State Government on the aforementioned project.
He said, “It is the height of hypocrisy and deception for an ignoble character like Sobomabo Jackrich to make such malicious demand or even criticize Governor Wike on the issue of governance in Rivers State whereas he is a major culprit of financial malfeasance, treachery, dishonesty and fraud.
“I know him too well because I worked with him for over 14 years as his second-in-command before parting ways with him in 2020. Sobomabo Jackrich is extremely infamous in the embezzlement and diversion of public funds and organizational or group funds to his private account for the purpose of self-enrichment at the expense of his subjects and the public.
“He enslaved, denied, excluded, deprived and short-changed me and my subjects of funds from Eroton and NNPC surveillance contracts for over five years while we were with him. He also deprived and denied me and my subjects of political fortunes and benefits of our years of struggle with him in the trenches of politics.
“It is unfortunate that rather than realizing his wrongdoing and patching up things with most of his subjects whom he deceived and short-changed, he is going about portraying himself as a saint and discrediting the good works of our dear Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who have performed creditably beyond the expectations of many especially his critics and naysayers”.
Odum also downplayed and dismissed the so-called governorship ambition of Jackrich, describing it as a smokescreen and subterfuge to advance his selfish and parochial interest.
He said, “I state unapologetically with facts that Sobomabo Jackrich is the biggest Betrayal and Saboteur of the clamour for a Governor of Rivers State of Kalabari extraction. He is a sell-out in Kalabari Kingdom and a professional political businessman who trades-off the Kalabari governorship struggle for his financial gains.
“I urge the public particularly my beloved Kalabari brothers and sisters not to take seriously the so-called declaration of governorship ambition by Sobomabo Jackrich. He is not a serious politician and he has nothing to offer, the public should discountenance and disregard his so-called governorship ambition.
“Sobomabo Jackrich can only redeem his battered image and infamous reputation by genuinely turning-a-new-leaf and making reparation, sincerely render unreserved an apology and beg for the forgiveness of all those he has terribly offended politically, socially and economically”.