Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State (left) and former PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus
By NewsBits
The fight between the governor of Rivers State, and leader of the famous G-Five Governors Nyesom Wike and the erstwhile national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus has taken yet another dimension with the former debunking that he benefitted politically from the latter.
He also revealed how Secondus, who also hails from Rivers State, was awarded juicy contracts worth over N50 billion by the various administrations in the state but executed none to completion. The Governor who spoke during the flag-off of the construction of Eneka-Igbo Etche Road in Obio-Akpor local government area of the state at the weekend, Wike declared that at no point in his political career did Secondus sponsor him to any political office except for the fact that he (Secondus) accompanied him on some lobbying trips.
“I have been reading what Secondus has been saying. And that is what I have said that education is very important. He now came up to say I am fighting my benefactors that I would soon leave office. Secondus, you couldn’t have been my benefactor and those following you couldn’t have been too,” he said.
Wike said he owed his political ascendancy to the Nsirim family, Senator George Mbata and Dr. Peter Odili family who gave him the “necessary support to grow financially and politically.”
However, he said granted that Secondus ever supported his political career, he (Wike) had not been ungrateful to such gesture.
“If you say you supported me I agree and it was because of the support that made me give you a lot of sugar to thank you. Rivers people and Andoni people will hear it today,” he added.
Wike alleged that successive administrations in the state awarded contracts worth over N50 billion to Secondus.
“Before I came as governor, Akpejo-Woji Road was awarded by the former administration of Amaechi. That contract was awarded at the cost of N3 billion to Secondus. He may come and say he recommended a contractor. That contract was revised by that administration to N11 billion, then I came, and it was revised. As I speak to you 100 per cent was paid on that road, N13.7 billion.
“We are not owing a dime. We awarded Bonny-Nembe-Bille Road, Bille Jetty, N3.2 billion. As I speak to you, we have paid him N3.2 billion. Marine Base Jetty was N3.9bn we have paid him N1.9 billion only 10 per cent job has been done. Andoni-Unity-Opobo Road, the total sum of N20.8 billion we have paid N18.7 billion and job done is 61 per cent. Meanwhile we have paid 90 per cent.
“Woji-Aleto Refinery Road awarded at the cost of N11 billion; we paid N5.8 billion. If you add everything, out of about N50 billion job we have paid N43.9 billion. Now Secondus what do you want me to do?
“Mention any state in this country that you merely supported somebody and the person appreciated and said do this. You can’t be my benefactor. You were not the one who made me governor. For you to make me governor you must be the one that sponsored my election. How much did you bring?
Meanwhile, Secondus has denied that he failed to execute or complete contracts awarded to him.
He said he had never been a contractor and never bid for or collected any contract from the state as alleged by the governor.
“I have never been a contractor. I did not collect or bid for any contract in Rivers State or from his government as alleged by the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“It is wrong of him to make such weighty allegations without any evidence. Let him do his investigation and go to the Corporate Affairs Commission to get the details of the companies he has given contracts to or those that the state gave contracts. I am not one of them.
“With his status, it is wrong for him to buy airtime from television stations and be dishing out outright lies and half-truths. Is he the owner of Julius Berger, which has done so well in the state by executing contracts running into hundreds of billions of naira?”
