 |
| NIMASA boss Dakuku Peterside |
Director-General of
Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has
lambasted Governor Nyesom Wike, accusing him of lacking the foresight
and capability to take the state to a greater height.
Peterside
also criticized a bill presented before the Rivers State House of
Assembly seeking to repeal Rivers State Reserved Fund Law No 2 of 2008
which made the state save money for the future.
In a statement, he
said: “I am shocked over Wike’s decision to repeal such a landmark law
among states in Nigeria,” stating that the governor seemed to lack
creative ideas on how to govern the state.
According to him, “At a
time when countries of the world are working hard to secure a
sustainable future for their people, looking for more avenues to
increase their savings for future needs, when the Federal Government is
doing all it can to increase our foreign reserves, Governor Wike is
doing exactly the opposite.
The immediate past governor of the
state, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, had upon assumption of office in 2007,
informed Rivers people of the expediency to save for future needs, hence
the passage of the bill in 2008 and was assented to by ex-Governor
Amaechi.
“Rivers
people are worried that the governor lacks a sense of accountability
and responsibility. This is a state where nobody saw 2016 budget, where
2017 budget recently signed by the governor is yet to be made available
to anybody, including members of the state House of Assembly. Wike
should not make the future of our state hopeless. Not too long ago, the
Federal Government refunded over N15 billion to the coffers of Rivers
State from excess deduction over Paris Club exit.
“Till date, the
state governor has not told Rivers people what he intends to do with the
money, nobody knows what has happened to the money. Doctors, teachers,
fire service men, pensioners, amongst others, are protesting unpaid
wages and lack of working tools.”
The NIMASA DG added: “The
governor has borrowed over N100 billion since he assumed office with
nothing on ground to justify such huge debt. The same man is now seeking
to repeal the law that makes it compulsory for the state to save
monthly from its federal allocation. I am calling on Rivers people to
call Governor Wike to order over his desperation to compromise all known
policies, programmes and institutions created by his predecessor
because it is capable of throwing the state into chaos.”