Governor of Rivers State,
Nyesom Wike, has said there is no cause for cheers yet over the Federal Government’s approval of $1.5 billion to refurbish the Port Harcourt refinery.
He gave his reasons stating that approval is not release and there had been series of unfulfilled promises in the past. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today live programme, Wike, who noted that fixing the refinery will create a lot of economic activities and employment for the citizenry said it was paradoxical that a refinery in a city where oil is produced is not working.
Standing on past unfulfilled promises to refurbish the refinery, he said: “Where is the oil being produced? Why is it that the refinery where the oil is being produced is not working? We have had a lot of promises, we have had a lot of talks and nothing has materialized. Approval is not release. I am not going to jubilate because the Federal Government said they have approved $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery. It is not something to say Hallelujah.”
Wike also spoke on the worsening insecurity in the country saying that amid security agencies’ claims of killing Boko Haram insurgents and rescuing those abducted by bandits, there appears to be deception.
He said: ”We must fight insecurity squarely or we are doomed. It is not by coming on television to say ‘we killed 200 bandits’ that nobody saw. You say you killed 200 Boko Haram, which nobody saw. They kidnap 200 students, in the next 10 hours they are released. Tomorrow, they kidnap 300 students, within 48 hours they are released. Who is deceiving who?”
The governor, recounted that when he was faced with the problem of kidnapping and cultism in Rivers State, the Federal Government had politicised it, said, ”I prayed to God that they see the problems we were seeing and now there is insecurity all over”.
Speaking on the constant changing of Rivers Commissioners of Police, which had been done 18 times and whether he has hope in the latest changes, Wike said: ”I will say that I’m handicapped, the Police belong to the FG, the army belongs to the FG. What do I do? The FG wants to sabotage me”.
