According to INCRA
The Inter-ethnic Network for Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, INCRA, expresses dismay over statements credited to Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, on the Edeoha-Ikata-Ochigba road in Ahoada-East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Hon. Chibudom, during the commissioning of the Edeoha-Ikata-Ochigba road by Governor Wike, claimed in error, that the former Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Honourable Minister of Transportation, abandoned the road during his tenure as Governor. This statement is not only misleading but fraught with falsehood. We are at loss as to why Hon. Chibudom chose to sacrifice the truth on the altar of politics. It is disheartening that a Statesman in his mould would deliberately distort facts to suit a momentary political interest.
The public may wish to know that the Edeoha-Ikata-Ochigba road in question was awarded by former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi with the Ikata-Ochigba section of the road fully completed, the Edeoha-Ikata section was not fully completed before the expiration of his tenure in 2015, however, the drainage and earthworks were fully done. We are therefore, perplexed that Hon. Chibudom Nwuche deliberately evaded the truth to misinform unsuspecting members of the public and impress his NEW benefactor Governor Wike who merely asphalted the road.
Rather than fault Amaechi, we had expected Hon. Chibudom to have apologized to his people over his inability to influence the construction of the said road being the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the number six citizen of the Country between 1999 and 2003 during which period, Amaechi was the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. For all intents and purposes, Hon. Chibudom's spurious assertion was made maliciously and in bad faith to discredit the genuine efforts Amaechi made as a Governor to bring social and infrastructural developments to the Ahoada region. It is not contestable that Amaechi as Governor, constructed several roads in the region, including 13 kilometers internal roads in Ahoada town with drainages on both sides and 9 kilometers Cohisa by-pass/ Abuja road with drainages.
It is our firm belief that Chibudom's position on the road was informed more by his disinclination towards Amaechi than by the truth. It is on record that Amaechi embarked on massive construction of roads across the 23 LGAs and major towns in the State. It is however, pertinent to point out that it may have been impossible for him to have constructed all the roads in State within the period he served as Governor.
We recall vividly that Hon. Chibudom as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1999-2003 was not on the same political page with Amaechi. In 2007, he was one of the top politicians in the State that tacitly or otherwise, opposed the emergence of Amaechi as the Governorship candidate of the PDP, eventually, Amaechi became Governor by Providence through the historic Supreme Court Judgement in October 2007. Chibudom did not stay away from the political space, rather, he turned around to support Amaechi within that period, however, in the build up to the 2015 general elections, he turned around again to join forces with Wike and the Jonathans to fight Amaechi out of the PDP, believing President Jonathan would use the instrument of State to retain his seat and banish Amaechi from the political spheres. Shortly after, President Buhari was declared winner of the 2015 Presidential elections, Chibudom left the PDP and defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the Gubernatorial elections as he had reasons to believe the APC will win the State. Given his political records, we are therefore, not surprised that Hon. Chibudom will at this time of seeming political wilderness in the State gravitate towards Governor Wike to seek pecuniary and alimentary gains over political integrity.
While we may understand Chibudom's rationale for hobnobbing with Governor Wike and the PDP, we do not seem to understand his reasons for withholding the truth from the public. Even though Chibudom was awarded a contract by Gov. Wike to renovate a section of the Western Ahoada County High School - a contract below his status and fit only for upcoming politicians - should that be enough reasons to have smothered the truth? Has Chibudom suddenly lost faith in the APC as a result of the slight delay in inaugurating the newly appointed Board Chairmen and members of some Federal Government Parastatals of which he was appointed a Board Chairman?
A man who appears to have failed to reflect the kind of focus, commitment and tenacity expected of someone who once occupied the exalted office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, must not be taken seriously. Hon. Chibudom, with all due respect, by his assertion on the Edeoha-Ikata-Ochigba road, has proven to Rivers people and indeed Nigerians that he is swayed by personal gains and interests and not the interest of the State.
Hon. Chibudom should be bold enough to define his political interest and pursue same openly and boldly without fear or favour rather than hiding under the guise of politicking beyond partisan limitations.
INCRA,
Ubima, Rivers State.
February 23, 2018.
