Hardship: Hold govs responsible, not Tinubu, APC warns against protest 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked Nigerians to hold the state governors accountable for the present hardship being faced in the country.

The party also accused some individuals described as failed politicians as being the brain behind the proposed August 1st nationwide protest.

Addressing newsmen at the National Secretariat of the party, Tuesday in Abuja, Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Rivers State, Sir Tony Okocha who admitted that times are hard globally, exonerated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu responsible for the ongoing hardship in the country.

Okocha said that instead of the people to ask their state governors questions on how they are managing the huge allocation accruing to the states to meet the needs of the people.

According Okocha, “The truth be told. Let us face reality here. What is the reason for the plan protest? The reason for the planned protest as I heard is that there is hunger in the land. Is President Tinubu the architect of hunger in the land? Why are we not demonstrating and protesting against our governors? 

“In my time as the Chief of Staff we had allocation to the tune of N6.6billion monthly. That was the maximum we got. But Rivers State today is coasting home to more than N28 billion from federal allocation. So, what happens? 

“The removal of fuel subsidy brought in money to the system. And the President didn’t put the money in his pocket. He is giving out. When these money are given to the states, do they think the President should also come and administer its use?”

On the proposed nationwide protest, the APC leader called on all patriotic Nigerians not to heed the call for the action, insisting that there was no justification for the action.

“As a party in Rivers State and patriotic citizens of Nigeria, we would like to seize this opportunity to caution against the planned protest by people I call failed politicians. 

“They cannot destroy the APC or the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We should support the President as he is determined to move Nigeria forward. It will take time, but the process is in place.

“We should not compare Nigeria to Kenya or Sudan. The circumstances and indices are different, and our population cannot be compared to those countries. Encouraging protests will only lead to chaos. We advise Nigerians not to join or support what I call failed politicians who think they can destroy the APC or the President.”

Speaking on the development within the Rivers State chapter of the party, Okocha said APC leaders in the state doesn’t know the current political party of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, adding that the former governor do not identify with APC again.

He specifically said Ameachi had warned the state Secretary of APC never to send an invite for any meeting to him again.

The APC chairman also denied that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike controls the party in Rivers State.

He said: On the issue of Ameachi I have no question to answer. I was Chief of Staff to Rotimi Ameachi, recall that at one point he got into the Law School and from the one year in Law School he became incommunicado. You also aware that after the presidential primary election he disappeared I to the tin air. So whether he still a party member or not I wouldn’t know because all the meetings we called, I give you example of a meeting we  alled for all the former governors and ministers, he (Ameachi) sent a message to the Secretary of the party and warned him never ever dare send him a message about the party again. So when you meet him ask him where he belong, for me I don’t know where he belong.”

Reacting to question on whether FCT Minister Nyesom Wike influence decisions of Rivers State APC, Okocha said: “when I hear this I laugh because Wike is a member of PDP, unrepentant PDP. We are APC here. Will anybody suggest that because Mr. Wike is a minister under our government of APC we should be at dagger with him? 

“Wike doesn’t attend our meeting, I have briefed you here, we have held meetings of stakeholders, Wike was never there. So at what point does he influence APC in Rivers State? His influence, as much as you know, is because he is minister under an APC government, so we can’t be in enmity with him. But to say that he influence us, how? What does it do, he pays our bills? Or he attends our meetings? The answer is no.”