FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike has berated former governor of the state and elder statesman, Dr. Peter Odili for stating that Gov. Sim Fubara prevented him from turning Rivers State into his personal estate.
Wike in a statement on Sunday said,“.”You know, I didn’t want to say anything until someone called me last night and showed me what somebody said in the social media. I said until I read it, I wouldn’t say anything. This morning, I read it in The Nation newspaper, I read it in Daily Independent, I read it in the Vanguard what our former Goverhor said.
It’s unfortunate, this is somebody that is supposed to be an elder statesman, this is somebody we are supoosed to call a father. What he said, he said the present Governor has been able to stop one man, one politician who wants to convert Rivers State to his personal estate. Whilst I was Governor, Odili praised me to high heavens, are you not aware? Infact, he even said, no Governor combined together can do what I did, is that not correct?
Let me tell you, in 2007 when he left office, he couldn’t near power because Amaechi was Governor then, he was gone. Like somebody said God will use somebody to bring out somebody. When I became Governor in 2015, I wouldn’t use the word resurrected, but I brought him back to life. You can ask Ambassador Akawor, he was Ambassador to South Korea, but for me, Odili was gone, I had to rescue him, but for us, there wouldn’t have been anything called PAMO University. I had to make sure we entered an agreement that Rivers State will retain 100 of our sons and daughters every session. In every semester, each of them pays not less than N5m for 7 years. Most of them today were attacking me then, why don’t we get a Rivers State University.
He was living somewhere there when I rescued him. What can I gain from such a person now? What can he give me now? You say one thing here and say another thing elsewhere. I had to personally call Julius Berger to build a mansion for him. He called the whole Nigerians to go and thank Wike. That Wike has done more than enough, see the mansion he built for me and my wife, he was taking them round the building, come and see, come and see. Must you be a trader all the time?
As a former Governor for 8 years, what are you looking for? Now the Governor that we all made that has just stayed one year, that the same Odili has gone to say has beaten the record of all the former Governors before him. When I was there, the same Odili said I have beaten the record of all the Governors before me, including himself, anyways what will we say he did in 8 years? If Odili spent 8 years in office, and someone has spent just one year and has beaten his record that means he has no record to beat. Is that what an elder statesman is known for? Why not do your Christmas carol, collect what you want to collect and go then leave me alone.
I knew all he had been doing but I kept quiet. He said “personal estate”, who is now having the “personal estate”. His wife is Chairman Governing Council, his daughter is a Commissioner, his other daughter is a Judge, he now is the General Overseer. So who is now taking the State as a “private estate”?. I am sure, if care is not taken, if there is any hole, he can even arrange a marriage for the Governor.
I can tell you that because at this level, I do not think a man can reduce himself to this level after forgetting all he had said in the past. I named this after you, I named this after your wife, what have i not done? You said we should not be part of Government, we have left, we are managing, we did not cry. You have taken Assembly money, they have not died of hunger and they will not die of hunger. I am focused on my job in Abuja, all this envy won’t get you to the level I am. When I was plotting who was to be Governor, was he there? Even when this Governor was chosen, he was complaining how can we go and bring this kind of person that can’t stand in the public to talk. But today, he is doing Christmas carol for him. Even whilst I was Governor, he did Christmas carol for me, just to hang around power.
Governor for 8 years, you are not satisfied, is it now that he will be satisfied. In the 6 months, Omehia was Governor, they were not on talking terms. I brought Omehia, all of them to his house for them to reconcile. If you don’t know what to do, allow others who know what to do, don’t be a distraction. If I tell you how his daughter became a Commissioner, you will be shocked. It was his nephew, his senior brother’s son that was recommended. Himself and his wife, came to me, let’s pick Ada. I would have thought he will allow his nephew whose father just died, with him been their father now, but no, he gave it to his daughter.
When a man has reduced himself to that level, we will also tell the public whom you are. This is a man who said he wanted to run for President, he doesn’t have the balls. He chickened out and ran away, saying Obasanjo said no, he ran away, ordinary Party politics, he ran away. Because of him, I never invited Obasanjo to Rivers State to commission projects because I felt it will be humiliating for him knowing the relationship.
When I was Governor, my picture was everywhere in his house, both bedroom, kitchen, both dining, even in the toilet, but today go round all the pictures have disappeared. They are the ones looking for my trouble, I am relaxed, whatever that pushed him to go and say what he said, anything he sees, he should take. “
