Former Rivers state Governor now Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed that his greatest regret while serving as the Rivers state governor was that his kinsmen failed to realise his efforts towards making the state a better place.
Amaechi disclosed this while speaking at the Annual Lagos Traffic
Radio Lecture Series in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
The minister of Transport also accused Nyesom Wike, the incumbent governor of the state of driving away investors.
He said: “The problem with Nigerians is that they forget so soon what someone had done for them. And that was one of my greatest regrets as the Governor of River State for eight years. I served my people but they did not recognise my contribution,”
Accusing Nyesom Wike of driving investors away from the state which is negatively impacting the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Amaechi said: “Do you know that people are now migrating away from Port Harcourt? When I was the Governor of Rivers State, nothing like that happened. The crime rate in the state has now increased and the IGR dropped. As the governor, the IGR of the state was at N8 billion. And that was why I have often advised Nigerian public office holders not to play with figures.
“I was accused of owing 12 months’ salary but when I left office, I had paid up to 40 percent of the workforce. I believe that all public officers must tell the public the truth always. During my tenure, when my IGR begins to fall, I invite the Commissioner of Police and other security operatives in the state to bring the statistics of crime in the state.
“Due to the crime rate in the state, people have started migrating away from the state and the IGR has dropped to N4 billion. The state governor (Wike) now moves like chairman of a council, asking traders and others if they had paid their
taxes. But when I was the governor, I don’t engage in that.”
He further added: “Migration is either voluntary or involuntary. But in the case of Rivers State, it is involuntary. They are forced to relocate from the state. The man complained that I am corrupt but I have asked him to go to court but until today, he is yet to bring evidence forward to buttress his claims.”