PORT HARCOURT— Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has said it was hypocritical for President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the heavily padded and unimplementable 2022 budget passed by the National Assembly, but declined assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The governor said the speed at which the President signed the 2022 budget, which he had described as unimplementable was curious and smacks of insensitive to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
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Wike, when he paid a New Year visit to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, in his home town, Orba in Udenu LGA of the state, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media Kelvin Ebiri, in Port Harcourt, said: “Look at Mr. President the other day while he was signing the budget, said the budget is unimplementable.
But he went on and signed what is unimplementable. A budget that will determine the state of the economy, the progress of this nation, and the President knew this thing can’t work and he signed it. Then the Electoral Act, he said he will not sign it because direct primary was too expensive.
What concerns me with party primaries? What concerns the poor people with party primaries? The one that concerns the poor man, business man, how to grow the economy, you signed it, knowing too well that it will not work.”
The governor, who opined that the All Progressives Party, APC-led Federal Government had failed Nigeria, urged the people of Enugu to speak out against the poor governance the country was experiencing.
He further advised them to join forces with well meaning Nigerians to salvage the country.
You must join the rest of Nigerians. Nigeria is dying. Will you be here to see Nigeria die? Is it the kind of Nigeria that people like Nnamdi Azikiwe fought for? A Nigeria that when you wake up, what you will hear is 20 people have died, 42 people have been kidnapped, 100 people have been abducted. Everyday death, death.”
Wike, who was conferred with a honorary traditional chieftaincy title of Agunechemba by the Chairman, Enugu State Council of Tradition Rulers, Amb. Lawrence Agubuzo, also urged the people of Enugu State to continue to stand by their governor to enable him deliver democratic dividends to them.
Meanwhile, Governor Ugwuanyi said Governor Wike has distinguished himself as a bold and courageous leader, noting that he was proud of his leadership.
Ugwuanyi described the visit as the signpost of the deepening relationship between the two states and commended the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers for conferring Governor Wike with a chieftaincy title.
He said: “Last year, I was in Rivers State on two occasions, on the governor’s invitation to commission two major road projects. On each occasion, I left Rivers State with strong and positive impression of your commitment to project conception and quick delivery.”
You have distinguished yourself as a visionary, bold and audacious leader, even when you have inspired trust and confidence in our democracy. You have fought for our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and have given voice for the voiceless. You have been a defender of the defenseless.”
