Written by Jide Orintunsin, Abuja
River State Governor Nyesom Wike found himself under sharp attack by the ruling Congress of All Progressives (APC) for his derogatory statements against his governors.
Wike, who in Port Harcourt was his Oyo counterpart Seyi Makinde, said Wednesday that members of the ruling party are ashamed of their governors, under whose supervision the economy has collapsed and security has deteriorated.
The APC said Wike must either live by denial or suffer from direct hatred for the good deeds done by the ruling party.
He argued that the country’s economy, given the prudence of the administration led by Muhammad Bukhari, would be in the woods, adding that the government continued to address security challenges with a sense of commitment.
Reacting to the governor’s outburst in Port Harcourt in a telephone interview, APC Secretary, Transmitter / Committee for Extraordinary Convention Planning (CECPC), Senator James John Akpanudoedehe, said Wike was economical with the truth closing his eyes to the milestones recorded by the Federal Government under the control of the APC.
He argued that despite a drastic drop in oil prices and a global economic recession, along with a new Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) that nearly stopped the entire world, prudent economic management kept the country’s economy on the move.
The APC clerk said: “The Nigerian economy is not an island. We are affected by global economic indices. It has been noted that our formal and informal economic sectors continue to operate, despite the near-zero treasury the PDP government left for us in 2015, but for a man like President Buhari, whose integrity and understanding help sustain the economy.
“You will remember, most states that could not pay wages to workers received bail, including all PDP governors. It has been noted that no government in Nigeria has had such a robust social protection package as our administration.
He added: “Today, the United States is only announcing an incentive package, but our economy is still moving, despite the global recession, Covid-19 and other challenges. We do everything possible to face all challenges, including security challenges.
“As much as I don’t want to join the issues with Governor Wike, I think he should be more mature in his outburst. There is a limit that he can play in the gallery. Liquidated as governor, he should bring maturity to management. He either lives by denying or suffers from direct hatred that he will accuse the APC-led administration when he knew the damage his party (PDP) had destroyed on the nation. “