“…Both are Empowerment Machines. The only difference is that those empowered by Amaechi are not as appreciative as those empowered by Wike. This notwithstanding, comparing the level of empowerment as done by Amaechi to that of Wike is like comparing River Niger with Ntawogba Creek in Port Harcourt.

Appointments in NIMASA and NPA alone dwarf all current appointments influenced by Wike and when you add the appointments of a Federal University Vice Chancellor or a University Teaching Hospital Chief Medical Director (CMD), you can come to the realization that Wike’s appointments are mere boy-boy appointments….”

According to Hon. Chief Ikenga Chibuike, erstwhile CTC Chairman, Ikwerre LGA and incumbent Spokesperson of the Nyesom Wike faction of APC, Rivers State: “Chief Eze not, minding your disposition, the fact remains that Wike is far better than Amaechi.”

First, Wike rewards loyalty while Amaechi punishes or destroys loyalty.

Besides, Amaechi will reap bountifully for blackmailing me after my sacrifices. I only pray we are alive. Money isn’t everything, Chief.

See what Wike is doing with his position to empower his supporters and you can understand why I feel that he is better than Amaechi.”

HIGHLIGHTS:
Hon. Chief Ikenga Amaechi was an appointee of Rt. Hon. Barr. Chibike Rotimi Amaechi when he was the Governor of Rivers State as the Chairman CTC of Ikwerre LGA

Both Rt. Hon. Barr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Chief Barr Nyesom Wike are all of Ikwerre extraction of Rivers State. Wike was the Chief of Staff to Amaechi when he was the Governor of Rivers State and was later recommended by Amaechi to be appointed as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Wike and Senator/Barr Magnus Abe were arrowheads in Amaechi’s tortuous journey to the Brick House as Governor, especially when he left for Ghana on exile.

Both governed Rivers State for eight years each and served at various times as Ministers of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Similarly, the duo emerged first runners-up in the Presidential Primaries of their various political parties in Nigeria, the PDP and APC for the 2023 general elections.

EZE WHO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE TWO OUTSTANDING LEADERS FROM RIVERS STATE REACTS:

Below is Chief Eze’s reaction to Ikenga’s comparison:-

Ikenga my brother, it is pitiable, and I find it uneasy to settle that the staggering pursuit of relevance in the political playground could reduce you into a merry mockery of the virtues you once held dear to. And more worrisome is the very fact that the authoritative code of morals has lost its force and effect in your beloved but checkered conscience.

The fact remains that Amaechi and Wike are opposite of each other in character and action, nay in all respects. They are like two parallel lines that do not meet; one representing light; the other stack darkness. But one striking semblance of relevance in both is that they are leaders; but one in his customary characteristics is grotesque mockery of a leader.

Nonetheless, from whichever perspective one may look at the two, one static fact is that they have made their contributions, each in his own way and with what he has, in nation building.

For clarity, before I divulge my position, let me reiterate that some people who do not understand my relationship with Wike may always think that I hold a grudge against him and that my position in matters that concern him will always be antagonistic.

For the records, let me use this opportunity to highlight two or three major contacts between me and Wike that should put minds of such thinkers in the right perspective.

First, when Amaechi appointed Wike as the Director-General of his re-election campaign in 2010, Wike submitted my name as his Director Media/Publicity but Amaechi rejected his submission and gave reasons why I should not head the Media Wing of his Campaign Organization.

In 2009, when the EFCC came for Wike and then SSG Magnus Abe, Wike directed that I should be contacted to issue a statement against EFCC and I complied. The effect of my compliance coupled with other collaborations led the EFCC to sheath their sword.

We have worked together in several other businesses of interest under the Amaechi administration.

These having been said, it is crystal clear that I and Wike hold no evil against each other; reason being why I am always objective in my criticisms of him and his political activities.

The roles that both Amaechi and Wike have played in most of their public lives are there in the public domain and the stand of any contributor to this issue may be influenced depending on which divide such a fellow may belong.

I will like to consider the issues you raised in this matter in three perspectives:

1. The type of Politics that both Wike and Amaechi play:

2. Their Influence as Regards Empowering their Supporters

3. Ikenga’s Personal Grudges against Amaechi and his Support for Wike

4. Conclusion:

1.
The type of Politics that Wike and Amaechi Play:

It will take a very long time to begin to highlight the inputs of both Amaechi and Wike and the roles they played in the development or otherwise of Rivers State and probably their contributions to the Nigeria political space.

In a bid not to bore you, let me state that Amaechi is more of a progressive, a pragmatic and futuristic leader while Wike on the other hand is more of a destructive and egoistic leader; full of himself, unlearned, hollow-brained, a power monger, and morally bankrupt.

Amaechi while as governor confronted insecurity headlong; and it was the period when insecurity was on the peak in Rivers State. He deployed innovative strategies to contain the situation. In the other hand, Wike, on becoming governor destroyed all those machineries and security architecture put in place by Amaechi. And as a result, the menace of insecurity returned and ravaged the state unrestrained till date.

Secondly, to save Nigeria from the current hunger hardship facing us as a nation, Amaechi set up the Songhai Farm that was capable of feeding the entire nation. Wike came and destroyed that farm. The farm had thousands of Rivers people under its employment but they all lost their jobs under Wike.

Both the Banana Farm, the Buguma Fishery, the Oil palm trees set-up to make Rivers State a self-sufficient state set up by Amaechi were all destroyed by Wike when he assumed office as Governor. Again, his display of poor leadership took food off the tables of families and households.

In view of the educational advancement of Rivers State, Amaechi built secondary schools and primary schools that was rated better than most of the Universities in Nigeria, Wike came and turned those schools to hideouts for criminals and safe habitation for reptiles.

He finally handed out academic institutions to the military as training centres. Yet, Rivers State was classified as one of the educationally disadvantaged states, in which case, the state needed more academic centres than military facilities.

Amaechi came and employed over 13,000 teachers at a time, the first of such an exercise in Africa to teach in those schools. Wike came and stopped the payment of most of these teachers.

Amaechi came and offered scholarships to hundreds of our children, Wike came and stopped those scholarships and asked those outside the country to come back without completing their studies, citing lack of fund as reason; but same Wike sent his own children to the UK to get the best education with Rivers money.

Amaechi used Rivers money to develop Rivers State but Wike oñ his own side became Father Christmas in Nigeria, donating billions of naira to other government and installing governments in states; a man who could not pay school fees for children of his state? Who does that!

The syringe factory at Rumuosi is now confirmed dead. It was full of life when Amaechi handed over to him.

Rivers State was home to the Hausas, Fulanis, Igbos, Yorubas and many other tribes in Nigeria when Amaechi was Governor; Wike came and ensured that most of their businesses in the State collapsed.

While Amaechi was governor the civil servants salaries and pension of pensioners were paid when due; Wike came and made their lives a living hell.

Amaechi had a vision of building a new Port Harcourt City to decongest the present Port Harcourt through setting up the Greater Port Harcourt City but Wike came and distorted the whole set up.

While Amaechi was the Governor of Rivers State he attracted a lot of both local and foreign investments and Wike ensured that those foreign Investors ran away fron the State.

During the period of Amaechi, he “scored yet another first with the unveiling of Port Harcourt as the first city in Nigeria to become the UNESCO World Book Capital defeating famous cities like Oxford and Moscow to become the UNESCO World Book Capital 2014, can anybody mention one international award won by the State during the destructive regime of Wike.

I don’t want to go further as trying to compare these great sons of Rivers State and what they stand is attempting to compare Light with Darkness.

The above notwithstanding, at the national level, google both Wike and Amaechi and you’ll get the results.

THISDAY NEWSPAPER accorded Amaechi an award as the Best Minister of the Decade and the records are there even for sycophants to see that means that Amaechi is better than both past and present Ministers of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Amaechi is a very clean, focused, visionary leader and nationalist with interest in nation building, while the destructive politics of Wike will take Nigeria 20 years aback. The facts are there for any interested scholar to peruse through. This caused the recent Organisers of the National Constitutional Amendment Confab to invite Amaechi as one of her speakers.

2.
Their Influence as Regards Empowering their Supporters:

Both are Empowerment Machines. The only difference is that those empowered by Amaechi are not as appreciative as those empowered by Wike. This notwithstanding, comparing the level of empowerment as done by Amaechi to that of Wike is like comparing River Niger with Ntawogba Creek in Port Harcourt.

Appointments in NIMASA and NPA alone dwarf all current appointments influenced by Wike and when you add the appointments of a Federal University Vice Chancellor or a University Teaching Hospital Chief Medical Director (CMD), you can come to the realization that Wike’s appointments are mere boy-boy appointments.

So, asking me to consider how Wike is empowering his supporters proves how myopic humans can be some times because most of the appointments so far Influenced by Wike are mere messengers and security guards to most of the appointments Amaechi made.

3
Ikenga’s Personal Grudges against Amaechi and his Support for Wike:

My dear Ikenga, you may not know but the fact is that whenever you bring up this issue before me, I cry not necessarily for Amaechi who has suffered untold hardship and injustice in the hands of those he has empowered but how those he nurtured into manhood deliberately lay him open to the jeers of mockeries of selfish jerks.

What exactly did Amaechi do to you people? Some people brought a report to Amaechi that you are working underground for Wike. Trust Amaechi, he never believes in gossips, he confronted you with those facts and instead of you to address them, you resorted to shouting and taunting your own very brother and benefactor. You forgot how he appointed you as the Chairman of Ikwerre LGA.

My plea to you to do your best to reconcile with your brother was to no avail.

I recall in 2013 when we brought APC into Rivers State and Wike and his defunct GDI group at that time made it impossible for us to move around. We were to hold a rally at either Isiokpo or Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area under your jurisdiction. You took the risk by leading the Team by Walking the distance by foot while we followed in bulletproof vehicles. You were handsomely rewarded. You got federal appointment. It seems you have forgotten how Amaechi appointed you Chairman of your Local Government in Care-Taker-Committee capacity, the CTC yourself and Tony Okocha are fighting against.

On a serious note, my brother Ikenga, come to think of it, is it not the same Wike you denied working with then, in the presence of Amaechi, that you are now kowtowing to and praising to high heavens? So, what was the basis of your denial? Do you not think that having aligned with Wike, the allegation is substantiated?

When I look at the lives of Sen Godswill Akpabio, Senator Omo Agege and others who have betrayed Amaechi and what they are currently going through, I fear the God that Amaechi serves. So, telling me that Amaechi will live to regret blackmailing you or that he betrays loyalty is merely calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

A man who got these appointments and still turns round to betray the benefactor and call him names and accuse him of not rewarding loyalty must be the most ungrateful man on earth.

Amaechi is innocent and God will soon prove it to us all. it is just a matter of time.

I give Wike till 2026 when most of those he calls his structure may have left him and you will come to understand what the power of Karma is all about.

4.
Conclusion:

In conclusion, no matter whatever may be your position, it will be totally unfair to compare darkness with light. Amaechi is the Master and will always remain the Master and no amount of blackmailing will change this fact.

Thanks.

Signed:
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
APC Chieftain, Member of APC Legacy Projects Media Team & former National Publicity Secretary, PDP