Insider Reveals How ADC Prevented Wike From Slapping Commissioner
Fresh facts have emerged over the reason behind the sack of the Commissioners in Rivers State. Some of the commissioners have shed light on what led to their sack by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, stating that the governor sacked them because they told him the bitter truth about the dictatorial manner in which he had been running his government.
According to one of the Commissioners, who pleaded anonymity, he claimed that his colleagues had always been treated like rubber stamp in the cabinet of Nyesom Wike, while the governor has been ruling like an emperor. “We were like rubber stamp commissioners just like the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. We don’t talk during Executive Council meetings. Only Governor Wike did the talking. He would start the meetings with intimidating talks and end it with even more intimidating and threat-filled talks.”
“We had an Executive Council meeting, during which we told the governor to treat us as people that are also part of the government. One of us stood up, and boldly told him that he, Wike, only him alone is the one making all the money while the Commissioners cannot pay their children’s school fees, hospital bills and other bills.
“He went on to ask Wike to explain to them what he did with the over N150 billion loan he took from banks in addition to statutory allocations from FAAC running into billions.
“He also asked the Governor to explain to them what he used the recently released Paris Club Refund of about N35 billion for.
According to the source, it was at this point that Wike became so livid with rage and went straight to the bold commissioner to give him a dirty slap. However, his ADC intervened and prevented him from displaying what would have resulted in a free-for-all in the Council Chambers.
Wike, according to the Commissioner said, “I have the power to hire and fire. I will activate it here and now.”
The governor in a fit of rage then turned to one of his aides and said, “Simeon, announce their sack immediately, enough of this nonsense.”
Wike, who announced the dissolution, at a news conference in Port Harcourt, did not give reason for his action. He directed the former commissioners to handover all government property in their possession to the Permanent Secretaries of their respective ministries.
The governor commended them for diligently serving the state and wished them success in their future undertaking.
A few days ago, Wike sacked his Commissioner for Works, Mr Bathuel Harrison, while the Commissioner for Information, Dr Austin Tam-George, resigned his appointment on Thursday. Wike had, a few months ago, also sacked the Commissioner for Health, Theophilus Ndagme for undisclosed reasons.