By Simeon Nwakaudu
It goes without saying that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the den of unrepentant liars and treacherous fellows. A home for persons without conscience and love for their people.
It may sound harsh, but once a man associates with the APC, he loses compassion, patriotism and development instincts. The reason for this disappointing fall, especially for those from the South-South and South-East, is obvious.
Once, you join the APC from the South-South or South-East, the party places a horrendous burden on you. They insist that you spew nonsense and justify the marginalization of your people. You are forced to lose your sense of justice.
This has been the case of Adams Oshiomhole, Festus Keyamo, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Joe Igbokwe, Cairo Ojuigo, Chris Ngige and a host of others. As APC leaders, all they have done is to work against the South-South and South-East, offering justification for the failures of the APC Federal Government. They attract nothing to their geo-political zones.
Austin Tam-George is one of such APC goons. He believes that he can only climb the rotten APC ladder by destroying his people in Rivers State. His warped expectation is that he would be elevated on the strength of the lies and misinformation he spews on Rivers State.
Last week, Tam-George, the former Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Rivers State claimed that there were no employment opportunities in Rivers State. This weekend, the same man comes forward to say that 5000 direct jobs and 200,000 indirect jobs would be lost upon the planned relocation of the Supply Base of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) from the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Rivers State to Lagos.
As expected, Tam-George attempted to use this dispute between SNEPCO and other stakeholders to score cheap political points, despite the fact that he wrote that the Rivers State Government through different channels and engagement routes, worked to resolve the challenge.
The sad aspect of this new APC convert is the pedestrian lies contained in his recent post. First, he claimed that Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Wike lacks a functional Ministry of Commerce and Industry. If Tam-George lost his job as a commissioner, did he also lose his sense of responsible communication?
Tam-George’s stint in Government, an opportunity availed him by Governor Wike, ought to have exposed him to the delicate workings of Government. He ought to have appreciated the quantum of investments in place by Governor Wike to ensure a robust economy and functional relationship with all oil majors, shell inclusive. But nobody expects rational reasoning from Tam-George as he is struggling to survive.
Contrary to the blantant lie circulated by Tam-George in his latest piece, Rivers State has a functional Ministry of Commerce and Industry with Mrs Nancy Nwankwo as the commissioner.
https://riversstate.gov.ng/mda/ministry-of-commerce-and-industry/
As we speak, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is working with other leaders to distribute funds for the Rivers State Government Empowerment Programme for Traders and Young Entrepreneurs. Funds will reach the participants after the burial of the State Attorney-General this weekend Under this empowerment programme, the Rivers State Government through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will empower traders and young entrepreneurs as follows:
▪Group 1: Spare Parts Dealers, Patent Medicine Sellers, Hair Stylists, Supermarket Proprietors, Fashion Designers – Will access #500,000 – #2,000,000.
▪Group 2: Restaurant Owners, Beer Parlour Owners etc – Will access #500,000 – #1,000,000.
▪Group 3: Artisans – Will access #300,000
▪Group 4:Food Vendors, Petty Traders – Will access #50,000 – #200,000 – #1,000,000 etc.
Outside the above, Governor Wike is accomplishing the job creation aspects of the New Vision Development Blueprint. Aside hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the private sector through policies of the Rivers State Government, Governor Wike has approved the employment of 14000 teachers and 7000 civil servants. The State Government is also recruiting operatives for the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency.
It is disheartening that Tam-George does not understand the politics of relocation, which has been one of the key advocacy of Governor Wike. All major international oil companies extract oil in the Niger Delta, but seek excuses to relocate to Lagos for administrative purposes.
For this reason, patriotic leaders of the South-South made presentations to the failed APC Federal Government to ensure the relocation of all oil majors to the region.
During his rounds to the South-South, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo directed all oil majors to relocate to the region. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/fg-directs-oil-companies-relocate-headquarters-niger-delta/Governor Wike facilitated a meeting of South-South and South-East Governors at the Government House Port Harcourt where the governors issued a communique urging the Failed APC Federal Government to implement the directive of the Presidency.
http://sweetcrudereports.com/2017/08/29/seast-ssouth-govs-demand-relocation-of-oil-firms-head-offices/
However on August, 2018; The Guardian Newspaper reported that Presidency sources said that no headquarters relocation order was made to oil companies. This volte-face by the failed APC Federal Government was a shocker to industry watchers who believe that the Federal Government is instigating the oil companies to sabotage the Niger Delta for political reasons.
https://guardian.ng/news/no-headquarters-relocation-order-to-oil-firms-says-presidency/
Even from the report that Tam-George analysed, the Rivers State Government is working round the clock to ensure a reversal of the decision by SNEPCO.
The report stated: “Sources at the meeting said both the DSS and the Rivers State Government are concerned about the long term security implication for the state should the relocation to Lagos be executed.”
On the issue of security, Rivers State remains one of the safest locations in the country. This has to be reiterated for Tam-George to understand that propaganda can’t change the reality. The APC Federal Government has destroyed the security architecture of the country and it is unwise for APC apologists to attempt to place the burden of responsibility elsewhere.
Tam-George’s struggle for attention is becoming too treacherous. He is refusing to see the bigger picture in the fight to eke out a living from an anti-people party .
These men who have been initiated into APC’S occult of retrogression, do nothing but defend the economic sabotage of their own people. Tam-George’s love for the treachery of his people to earn a place on APC’S table of infamy is a sad development.
But Tam-George must realise that we are battle ready. We have the presence of mind to put out the truth each time APC pays the erstwhile information commissioner to lie against a God-Ordained administration. We are heading to 2023, strictly on the platform of Governor Wike’s outstanding performance.
