Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has been lambasted by pensioners and Civil society groups in the state for proclaiming that his administration’s next policy thrust will be to empower the people by what is popularly called ‘Stomach Infrastructure’.
Spokesman of the Rivers State Civil Organizations, Comrade Solomon Lenu in his reaction to the Wike’s announcement described the planned policy as a clear reminder to Rivers people by the Governor that his administration has deliberately improverished them in the past seven years. He is now waiting for the eve of the general election year to dish out tokens to the people to secure their votes.
He warned Rivers people not to be deceived by the antics of Governor Wike but keep their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCS, and use it wisely during next election.
“We cannot afford to go through another four years of pains of impoverishment, orchestrated by unemployment, blunt refusal to pay Pensioners, open industries and payment of bursary to Rivers State Students for past Seven years.
The Human Rights Activist said Wike’s stomach infrastructure means he knew all the while that Rivers people had been un-empowered all these years.
“For almost seven years Governor Nyesom Wike killed the Songhai Farm that was empowering Rivers people. For nearly seven years students of Rivers state in various universities didn’t have any bursary.
He added that “For Seven years retired pensioners have been crying for their gratuity to no avail.
Lenu further alleged that “Wike added more efforts in taking away every means of livelihood from common Rivers people, by closing down Rivers State Transport Company, RTC, Rivers State Sustainable Development Authority, RSSDA, Kelsy Harrison Specialist Hospital, banned Dispatch Riders and others.”
He regretted that under the present administration, Demonstration Staff School Teachers witnessed economic woes as their salaries were stopped, and even their victories at various courts couldn’t persuade the Governor to have sympathy on them.
He also lamented that not a single industry was built to employ the teeming Rivers graduates that kept pouring into the labour market every year. Not even an SME’s package to support this very critical stakeholders of our society.
However, he said within the period under review Wike empowered his tiny elitist group and circle, especially the Judges who had their best time in history.
Spokesman for the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Rivers State, Lucky Ati, said: “No gratuities or accumulated arrears have been paid so far except for monthly pension.
“Some are owed 30 to 40 months arrears of pensions are gratuities. If he wants to do stomach infrastructure that is his business. But out Pensions and gratuities are our statutory rights. It has nothing to do with stomach infrastructure.”
