…Says ‘NIMASA Moved To Lagos, Under Your Watch’
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, has reacted to allegations by Dr. Adol Dakuku Peterside, that Rivers people have not gained from employments by Julius Berger, the firm handling the construction of the various flyovers in Port Harcourt, the State capital.
Recall that the former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had in an interview on Viewpoint radio programme last Saturday, accused Governor Nyesom Wike of awarding major construction contracts to Julius Berger, alleging that the German firm were not employing Rivers people to do the jobs.
Ambassador Akawor, who also appeared in the radio programme shortly after Dr. Peterside left the studio, disagreed with him, stressing that over 95% of the Julius Berger workforce, were Rivers people.
Akawor while stressing that Julius Berger were merely what he called, technical experts in the construction project, averred that the people on ground, doing the basic jobs were people of the State.
“Take a visit to any of the Julius Berger sites and show me how many expatriates that are on ground working? 95% of our people are working there. Julius Berger are only the technical experts who do the design and direct people on what to do.
“Dr. Peterside should not pretend that he has not heard Governor Wike telling Julius Berger to employ Rivers people”, Akawor said.
The Rivers PDP Chairman disclosed that Governor Wike had never taken the issues of employment for granted, pointing out that his administration has created more jobs for the teeming youths of the State more than his predecessors.
“There is no Local Government Area in the State where construction is not going on today. And who are the companies doing the constructions, of course, they are the indigenous construction companies. And they have created huge employment to the youths”, he said.
Ambassador Akawor rather accused Dr. Peterside as well as current Transportation Minister, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of deliberately denying Rivers State of the benefits of a maritime State.
He described as the height of irony, a situation where the former governor of the State would allow the Sea Ports in Port Harcourt and other parts of the South-South to die during his tenure as Transportation Minister.
“What has become of our seafarers from Rivers State? Even the NIMASA office that was created here in the State has been moved to Lagos under Dakuku’s watch.
“If the Ports are not working, go to Lagos and see the whole of Coconut and Tincan and see bonded warehouses. Today, we are supposed to have bonded warehouses between Oil Mill and Onne Seaport. These would have created beehive of activities and boost the micro economic activities in those areas”, he said, regretting that what would have benefitted Rivers as an amphibious state in terms of direct employment, have been lost because of what he termed the insensitivity of Dakuku of Amaechi.
Ambassador Akawor used the medium to applaud Governor Wike on inroads recorded by his administration within six years of his two term rule.
In the area of sports, he praised the governor for establishing the Real Madrid Football Academy as well as motivating the Rivers Angels FC and their Rivers United FC counterparts to become two of the greatest in the country.
He also lauded the governor for the establishment of the Nigerian Law School in the State as well as providing scholarships to Rivers Students studying Medicine in any university in Nigeria.
