By: Felix Ikpotor
A socio-political pressure group, Network for the Defense of Democracy and Good Governance (NDDGG), has joined other groups in condemning the recent pledge of five hundred million naira to the government of Sokoto State by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State, following the fire that gutted the Shehu Shagari market I the state leading to the destruction of properties worth millions of naia.
Leader of the group, Sobomabo Jackreece in a statement noted that while the group sympathizes with the government and people of Sokoto State over their loss, it views Governor Wike’s action as selfish and politically motivated.
The ex-Niger Delta agitator also added that the gesture was an unaccountable obligation.
The statement reads in part, “While we sympathize with the government and people of Sokoto state over the loss, we view this move as Governor Wike’s politically selfish, ill-motivated and reckless donation of the collective resource of River State. The NDDGG wish to sound it loud and clear that Sokoto State is not a territory of Rivers State warranting such unacceptable obligation.
“The action of the Governor clearly proves that he does not seem to have a protected future at stake or vision for our dear state. He is not bothered that the state ranks number one on the unemployment index, having the highest unemployed population as published by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics and other institutions”
He went further to say that it was worrisome that retirees and pensioners have not been paid their entitlement since the inception of Governor Wike-led administration in 2015.
Jackreece said the governor has looked the other way despite several protest and pains faced by those who have served the state meritoriously resulting in avoidable death of senior citizens of the state without their statutory reward.
The NDDGG leader said the group will explore all means possible to demand accountability for the utilisation of public funds by the state if it fails to retrace its steps on the spate of financial impropriety.
“The state has been operating a secret budget system since 2015 even though the government denies these facts indefensibly without any evidence to the contrary. We demand full detailed transparency of the utility of the seventy-eight billion naira refunds and further call on the state government to pay our retirees from the refunds or the NDDGG will be left with no other option than to mobilize Rivers people to embark on mass action in the coming days, including exploring all legal avenues to compel the Wike-led Rivers State government to account for all our monies, if our governor fails to reorder his steps”.
