Rivers PDP defectors are neophyte, says Wike

Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described two former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, John Bazia and Michael West, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, as political neophyte with slippery character.

He said the two defectors, who served as commissioners in his cabinet during his first tenure, became disgruntled because he did not retain them.

The governor while speaking on a live television programme in Port Harcourt on Friday, said the decision of Bazia and West to leave for the APC was of no political consequence because they were politically irrelevant.

He said: “What are the qualities of people that defected? The two people, Michael West and John Bazia who knew them in my cabinet? Have you ever heard them speak on behalf of PDP before? Have you ever heard them speak on behalf of our administration?

“You knew the position of Chidi Llyod when he was in APC. Ask the former Commissioner of Transport (Michael West), he contested PDP primaries with me and got only three votes, but because of the politics of carrying everybody along and the money he spent I decided to accommodate him. He was Commissioner of Transport, ask him his contribution to the administration.”

The governor in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, explained that during his first tenure he almost sacked West as a commissioner for taking 13 luxurious buses belonging to the state government to Calabar for a spiritual programme.

He said: “I called the Commissioner for Transport and asked him of his whereabouts. He told me he was in Calabar to see his father, the Olumolumba. I was amazed, and said; you took our 13 buses to Calabar without permission. I would have sacked him that day. People prevailed on me to manage him till after the election.

“Taskforce were collecting money and paying into the Commissioner for Transport private accounts. I called in the State Executive Council meeting and ask him; how would you pay state money into your private account? I managed him till the end of my first tenure. You expect me to bring this kind of person to my cabinet?

The governor said the reason given by West for his resignation from the PDP was that he was not allowed to head his ward executive committee of the party.

“So how can we give somebody we know that will be leaving the party EXCO? So that when he is defecting, he will say has defected with the entire EXCO. He thinks he is smarter than anybody? These are neophytes in politics. We all kept eye on them,” he said.

Speaking on the defected former Commissioner of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, John Bazia, Wike revealed that while serving in the state executive council, Bazia caused him so much embarrassment.

He said: “During the 2015 presidential campaign, the President brought kola to the Traditional Rulers. You can’t believe what happened. The Chairman of Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council called me that the chiefs are waiting for their kola. I was amazed and said which kola, you have not received it? They said no.

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“The then commissioner for Information who was the chairman of the Subcommittee of our campaign said they gave the Kola to John Bazia. Do you know what Bazia did? He took Eighty percent and brought 20 percent of the kola to the traditional rulers.

“The then Commissioner of Information got angry and slapped him and called him an armed robber. Everybody was angry and compelled him to bring the Kola. What an embarrassment.”

Wike also narrated how he had to personally intervene and pay off the 40,000 Euro debt Bazia was owing.

He explained that his administration had done many projects in Tai and Asari-Toru LGAS where the two defected commissioners hail from.

The governor described as laughable the allegation that he was constructing seven flyovers in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor LGAS.

He declared that he would be constructing additional three flyovers in Port Harcourt to ease traffic congestion.