The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State have expressed their disgust to some of their political leaders who they said looked the other way during the donation of palliatives to the suffering party supporters at the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown while they and their family members ate fat from their commonwealth.
In one of their meetings held at the residence of the former Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Celestine N. Omehia over the weekend, tempers at a point rose especially when according to sources, the Administrative Secretary of the Council, Hon (AP) Obinna Ekem a Kelga stakeholder was asked to get out of the venue as according to one of them, “he was not invited in the meeting and this embarrassment did not go down with his own supporters who felt insulted because they noted, the Council Secretary was part of Governor Nyesom Wike’s foot soldiers when many of them including the former Governor ran away.
The Kelga Legislative Assembly deputy leader in a chat with newsmen confirmed that at the end of the fracas chairs and empty bottles were freely thrown at each other, while many of the leaders including the former governor and Federal House of Reps member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Hon. Boniface S. Emerengwa were injured and taken to a clinic for treatment.
Hon Amadi said it took the intervention of the state governor for order to be restored.
Hon. Amadi used the opportunity to reassure their supporters that the council chairman, Hon (Engr.) Samuel Nwanosike has performed excellently well in office having justified the N150m (one hundred and fifty million naira) approved for him to borrow from the banks for development purposes.
On why the council chairman had to rely on borrowing even with their monthly allocation coming directly to them having been granted autonomy by the Federal government, Hon. Amadi denied it, saying that it is all propaganda. “We are still getting our allocation through Joint Allocation Committee (JAC) with the state government,” nothing has changed.
He made it clear that with the situation, it is not possible for any local government chairman to make meaningful impact without borrowing.
“The important thing is for the council areas to put mechanism in place to repay such loans within the stipulated time.”
He stated further that Hon Nwanosike has indeed justified the loans he collected to renovate the Council Secretariat as according to him, Kelga has been using the administrative block of offices built since 1952 .
The ward 4 Councilor, Elele also disclosed that the Kelga Legislative Assembly built by the administration of Hon Kerian Wobodo remains the best in the whole 23 local government area of the State.
