Secondus: Wike Lied, I Didn’t Get Any Contract from Rivers Govt

*Wike’s inordinate ambition orchestrated PDP crisis, says Aniagwu 

*Odili rates Wike as best performing Rivers gov 

Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Omo-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secondus has described as lies, the allegations by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that he failed to execute or complete contracts awarded to him.
Secondus said he had never been a contractor and never bided for or collected any contract from the state as alleged by the governor.
The governor had during the inauguration of the Eneka-Igbo Etche Road project last Friday, accused Secondus of failing to execute the contracts he got from the state government.

He said in some instances, the contract sum was fully paid but the projects were not completed.
He had challenged the former party chairman to name any road contract he was awarded that he completed.
But in his reaction, Secondus said: “I have never been a contractor. I did not collect or bid for any contract in Rivers State or from his government as alleged by the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

“It is wrong of him to make such weighty allegations without any evidence. Let him do his investigation and go to the Corporate Affairs Commission to get the details of the companies he has given contracts to or those that the state gave contracts. I am not one of them.
“With his status, it is wrong for him to buy airtime from television stations and be dishing out outright lies and half-truths. Is he the owner of Julius Berger, which has done so well in the state by executing contracts running into hundreds of billions of naira?”

Secondus said he would rather focus on working for the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, to win the February 25 presidential election.
Secondus stated, “As for me, I am not a violent man and I remain committed to the victory of our presidential candidate and his running mate, Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa in the forthcoming presidential election.
“I call on Governor Wike to join hands with progressive-minded people in Nigeria to be part of a positive history. I am sure he loves the PDP and won’t do anything to jeopardise its victory at any level. I wish the governor a happy and prosperous new year.”

Wike’s Inordinate Ambition Orchestrated PDP Crisis,  Says Aniagwu
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Wike of masterminding the crisis in the party, leading to the formation of,  and agitation of the G-5 governors.
It said Wike masterminded and orchestrating the crisis in the party by opening of the party’s presidential contest as against popular wish of micro-zoning it to the south-east.
The spokesman of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Charles Aniagwu Aniagwu, who made the accusation, said Wike influenced the zoning committee headed by his friend and ally, Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom to open the contest thinking he could muscle everyone to win.
Speaking on ‘Prime Time,’ a programme monitored on ARISE NEWS Channel, Aniagwu who is also Commissioner for information in Delta State said the ongoing crisis in the party was caused by Wike’s inordinate ambition to be president.

According to him, Wike’s anger at Atiku Abubakar was misplaced because his friend Ortom was the chairman of PDP’s zoning committee just before the primary election was conducted and it was not Atiku who made it open for people to just go and contest but Ortom.
“In our quest for peace we have allowed the danger of the single story to persist. When the party set up a Zoning Committee it was headed by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue and a member of the G-5 Governors.
“The committee threw the ticket open for the best to emerge and Atiku Abubakar was considered the most qualified to lead Nigeria’s rescue and rebuilding mission.

“Let me now give you a hint, when the issue of zoning was discussed, you know that Ortom was the chairman of the zoning committee.
“Atiku Abubakar was interested in micro-zoning to the south east but it was the same Nyesom Wike that frustrated it because he wanted to contest.
“It was not Atiku that made the zoning open to people to just go and contest. In this case, there was a contest between the South and the North, and Atiku was considered by members of the party as the man capable of leading Nigerians out of the woods.

“I think often times we undermine the value of our prayers as Nigerians. From the actions of Wike, you will know that the prayers of Nigerians are working.”
“Because if in just Rivers, you are subjecting everybody to the kind of torture we are seeing which we never saw under military rule, imagine if he is in charge of the military.”
On calls for disciplinary measures against the ‘rebel’ governors, Aniagwu said the party was taking its time to ensure that all avenues for peace and compromise were explored.

He said: “Without the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); these individuals that are creating these crisis, where will they be? So when individuals begin to progress along this line and think that the rest of us don’t matter, you begin to wonder what their calculation is in any case”.
He said the party would continue to appeal to the G-5 governors to return home and join hands in the rescue mission project.
“Our presidential candidate is very busy interfacing with Nigerians and we will continue to plead with Wike and accord him the respect he deserves as a governor and a great leader in our party.

“The very disturbing economic and security situation in the country is enough for any leader to sheathe his sword and help in taking decisions that can help the country to navigate through the very murky waters,” Aniagwu stated.

Wike is Best Performing Rivers Governor, Says Dr Odili
However, former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili has restated that Wike remains the best governor Rivers has ever produced over the years.
Odili stressed that every genuine Rivers indigene was proud of Wike for the honour he has brought to the state as the best performing governor in the country.
The former Rivers governor said this yesterday, when Wike visited him in Port Harcourt and later had a new year visit to His Royal Majesty, Nne-Nwe-Eli Emohua XIII (OLO IV), Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse in Emohua respectively.

Odili commended Wike for fearlessly defending and protecting the interest of the state from existential threats which many didn’t know existed.
The elder statesman assured the governor that, “I remain committed to the total victory of the PDP in the state in the 2023 general elections.”
Earlier, Wike had declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was fully prepared for the 2023 general elections.
The governor, expressed optimism that his administration would finish strong.

The Rivers State governor told Odili that he remains eternally grateful for the support he has rendered to his administration since 2015.
Wike was accompanied by the PDP governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara, the senatorial candidates for Rivers South East and Rivers East, Senator Barry Mpigi and  Allwell Onyesoh, member of the House of Representatives, Ken Chikere, among others.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, he urged Odili to pray for seamless transition in the state and for the PDP to win all elective positions.
In Emohua, Wike told His Royal Majesty, Nne-Nwe-Eli Emohua XIII (OLO IV), Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse, that he was in the council to formally notify the PDP stakeholders that the party has commenced politicking and ready for the 2023 general elections.
 “We are prepared for the politics and elections of 2023. We want to sound notice whether at the local, national and international level that we are now set for this year’s election,” he added.

He commended the king for his unparalleled support of the Rivers State government since 2015.

The governor, who had earlier visited the former Senate minority leader, Senator Bennett Birabi in Yeghe in Gokana Local Government Area, also said he was optimistic that his administration would finish strong.

Wike said all the road construction projects being flagged off across the state would be completed before he leaves office in May.

“Continue to pray for us now that our tenure is almost coming to an end. We pray we finish well as we have always hoped that God will allow us to finish well.”

The governor also pledged to construct some internal roads in Yeghe community and Bori.

In same vein, the governor also visited the former President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, Ledum Mitee in K-Dere community.

He commended Mitee for sacrificing his legal career in pursuit of justice, fairness and equity for the Ogoni people.