Economic recession will not affect Rivers, says Wike

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has declared that the state is operating a divine economy which has enabled it to continue to execute projects and pay workers’ salaries when other states have failed.

Wike said that the economic recession in the country will not affect Rivers State because God has positioned it for greater ex­ploits.

The governor who was repre­sented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Chukwuemeka Woke, during the dedication of a new church build­ing and celebration of 100 years of Saint Simon’s Anglican Church, Ugiri-Ike, Diocese of Ikeduru, Imo State at the weekend, said the state has continued to paid sala­ries, pensions and even planning to pay civil servants their Christ­mas bonus.

He said: “We are not owing workers’ salaries in Rivers State, we are even considering how we will add Christmas bonus to them. The Rivers State govern­ment is not operating an econ­omy in recession; it is operating a divine economy. That is why in Rivers State, it is either we are commissioning projects or we are kicking off construction of new projects. “

Wike lauded an indigene of Ugiri-Ike community, Mr Don­ald Denwigwe (SAN) for his com­mitment to the promotion of the rule of law. He said that the state government is happy to celebrate with him and his community.

He said: “Donald Denwigwe (SAN) was introduced to Gover­nor Wike at a trying time of the state political history by Emma­nuel Ukala (SAN). It was at a time when the government of the day in Rivers State wanted to scrap the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

“Governor Wike felt that not everyone should move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as requested at the time. The gover­nor insisted that the PDP will not be scrapped. It was on this basis that he resolved to approach the court to enforce the right of Riv­ers PDP members to freedom of association.”

The governor explained that the Rivers State Government can­not be intimidated, pointing out that it will always celebrate those who promote the rule of law.

He thanked God that Christi­anity has continued to grow in the area over the last 100 years.

Denwigwe said that the com­pletion of the church was made possible by God.

Meanwhile, Wike has stated that the fact that the Independ­ent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC) could conduct elections in the dreaded Sambi­sa Forest, but not in Rivers State, was an indication of the evil plot against the state.

He described as unfortunate the claims by the leader of the im­mediate past administration in the state that there was no good road to the hometown of the late APC chieftain when that admin­istration spent eight years with huge resources accruing to the state, but only embezzled devel­opment funds.

At a state dinner for the del­egates of the West African Archi­tects Fair from 13 countries at the weekend, Wike said that the non-conclusion of rerun elections in the state was a fallout of the grand conspiracy to rig the polls in fa­vour of an unpopular party.

He said: “Because people want to illegally seize power in Rivers State that is why you are hearing all this. This plot is to take Rivers State by force. Why do you want to take Rivers State when it is not your own?

“Between March 19th and now, they planned to elections so that they can get the number of seats to impeach me and put their man. Since March they have been postponing the elections. Later, they said October ending, still there is no election. Now, they say 10th of December and when we get to 10th of December, they may shift it to next year,” he lamented.