The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has challenged the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, to revive the moribund two seaports in the state, in order to create employment opportunities for Rivers’ youths. To this end, the governor has offered to resign from office, if Amaechi can mention any federal project he has attracted to Rivers State as a Minister since 2015.
Governor Wike speaking in Port Harcourt, accused the Minister of Transportation, of embezzlement of $308million being proceeds of the sales of power stations built by the Governor Peter Odili administration.
The governor, who cited several projects he attracted to Rivers State while he was Minister of State for Education under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, challenged Amaechi to emulate him by reviving the moribund Port Harcourt seaports in order to create employment opportunities for Rivers’ youths.
“As Minister of Transportation, Port Harcourt seaport and Onne port are dead. Even the NIMASA cabotage department that was in Port Harcourt, they have taken it to Lagos.
“If these ports were functional, there would have been job opportunities for our youths.
“As Minister of Transportation, what project has he attracted to Rivers State? He has promised us a narrow gauge railway, the question is, when will the railway be functional?
“When I was Minister of State for Education, I brought Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas in Bonny, I created Faculty of Law in Uniport, I brought intervention funds to the State owned Polytechnic, Universities and Federal Technical College Omoku and I renovated FGGC Abuloma and FGC Port Harcourt.”