The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed why he worked for the removal of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus.
Wike revealed this on Thursday as a special guest of honor at a year-end thanksgiving organized by PDP stakeholders in Ahoada East and Ahoada West in Ukpata community in Ekpeye State Kingdom.
The thanksgiving was hosted by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudum Nwuche; Chairman, Rivers State PDP Council of Elders, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba; area House of Representatives members Solomon Bob and Victor Obuzor, and state House of Assembly member Dame Queen Williams.
The minister revealed that he expelled Secondus from his position as PDP national chairman because he hatched a plot to make his cousin and former deputy governor, Tele Ikuru, Rivers governor instead of Siminalayi Fubara.
He said: “I heard Secondus say the other day in Bori that I granted the Bori Inner Road. I paid 50 percent, and thinking that we have a governor that we all agreed to continue, Segundo said that his enemies; Who are the governor's enemies?
“Second, he was denied being governor.
“I fired Secondus as PDP president when he wanted to appoint his cousin Tele Ikuru as governor.
“Today he says that we are enemies.
“He was the one who rejected the man to be governor. He wanted his cousin to be governor.
“He has now become a friend of the governor and we have become enemies. To God be the glory.”
Wike also called Celestine Omehia an “imbecile” for saying that he had not been attracted to Rivers as a minister.
He said Omehia was prevented from becoming Rivers governor through the back door, adding that the PDP leader lacked knowledge of the duties of an FCT minister.
The minister said although he could not bring infrastructure projects to Rivers as FCT minister, he had been helping the people of Rivers.
Wike added that no governor had attracted more appointments to his state than him during the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“I listened to an idiot and let him challenge me, an idiot Celestine Omehia. I say this because when he wanted to occupy the Government House I kicked him out. We couldn't have an idiot be Governor.
“He said they should ask me what I have done for Rivers State. That's why I say he's an idiot. If you understand that I am not a minister of a ministry, I am a minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
“When I was Minister of Education, he would have challenged me: 'What did you bring to Rivers State?'
“As Minister of Education, I brought the Faculty of Law to the University of Port Harcourt. I gave scholarships to Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, I gave scholarship to Ignatius Ajuru University, I ensured that Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma; I renovated them to be what a school is supposed to be.
“That's what I thought I should ask myself. Now I am the FCT minister, I cannot bring roads to Rivers State, I cannot bring FCT money to Rivers State, but I can help the people of Rivers. And I've been helping the people of Rivers.
“Let the record show that, through the work of Mr. President, there is no governor in this state who has attracted more political appointments than me. Go and tell it.
“Through Mr. President, through his grace, through his love for us, he said, go and give me these names for political appointments.
“So Mr Omehia, are you not aware that Rivers people have more political appointments than even you serve someone? Are you not aware?
“Today, they thought, because they have collected what you suffered for, therefore you will die of hunger. You won't die, will you die? You will not die.
“We have been helping the people of Rivers and we will continue to help the people of Rivers.”
Also, in his welcome address, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudum Nwuche, commended Wike for his transformative leadership in Abuja and his commitment to the development of Rivers State.
Nwuche commended Wike for completing projects in Abuja that were abandoned for 20 years, noting that Wike's achievements in Abuja are a testament to his capacity and leadership skills.
Nwuche also expressed the gratitude of the people of Ekpeye to Wike for the numerous projects he initiated in the area during his tenure as governor of Rivers State and assured him that the people of Ekpeye stood firmly behind him, despite the noise of criticism.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Wike as FCT Minister, saying it was a wise decision that has yielded positive results.
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