Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has told his newly inaugurated commissioners that his administration will do proper handover to his successor unlike his predecessor and former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi. The governor also described as an aberration the appointment of someone without requisite intellectual acumen to represent the state as a minister in the Federal Executive Council.
Odum Odi, who hails from the state, was recently named the Minister of State for Environment to replace Amaechi, who resigned as the Transport Minister to contest the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike spoke on Saturday after inaugurating five new commissioners at the Executive Chamber of Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said: “I have never seen an embarrassment like that in my life. Yes, you must appoint those who are loyal, but educated people are also loyal. It has never happened in our State. Everything cannot be politics. The image of the State is key.” The governor tasked commissioners, heads of ministries, departments and agencies to begin compilation of relevant information required to document the successes of his administration from 2015. Wike said he was determined to do a proper handover to his successor “despite the fact that his predecessor did not do a proper handover to him”.
“Everything we have done, all the records. What we have bought from ministry to ministry, you have to start compiling them. I don’t want to hear a situation where you will say there is no time, there is plenty of time. You don’t need to wait till the last day. That is why things are difficult for some people,” he said.
The new commissioners are Deinma Iyalla, Special Projects; Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom; Education; Boma Iyaye, Local Government Affairs; Christopher Green, Sports and Burabe Anea-Bari Donald, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs. Wike said his administration was in its last lap and there was a need for the different ministries to begin compiling records of their activities in lieu of handing over day.
