Today, the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, received with utter sadness the shocking news of the decision by Gov. Nyesom Wike to summarily terminate the overseas scholarship scheme established by the former Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for Rivers youths to study different critical disciplines overseas. The government stated that it will be withdrawing and bringing home the students from their various foreign universities.
The APC believes that by this singular action, the Wike-led State Government has announced to the world that it does not have the requisite capacity to govern. Indeed, this action clearly makes it obvious that this government is a huge fraud contrived by persons who do not understand what vision is all about.
It is even more shocking that despite the serial borrowing embarked upon by Gov. Nyesom Wike since May 29, federal allocations and IGR totalling over N130bn in the past seven months, he cannot invest not more than N3bn to keep our children, wards, brothers, sisters and relations in schools overseas.
The APC is inclined to believe strong speculations in the air that this very wicked action by the governor is aimed at indirectly punishing a handful of parents and guardians who may have relationships with some of the students. This is how low the mission of vengeance by the Wike government can get.
We feel very worried that innocent young sons and daughters of our dear State are being made to live with injured psyche all their lives because a vengeful governor is on rampage looking for pound of flesh to exact. Indeed, not one of these children will ever overcome the pains and anguish this truncation of their ambition will bring to them for the rest of their lives on earth. Sadly, this governor does not get it.
The APC is consulting widely with parents, guardians and leaders of thought of Rivers State and will make a comprehensive response to this decision aimed at killing the future of a generation of Rivers youths.
The APC wishes to announce to traumatised parents and guardians that whereas Gov. Nyesom Wike is demonstrating that he has the power to truncate the future of our children’s education by terminating their scholarships and bringing them home in the most humiliating manner, those children will return to their schools as soon as the rightful governor assumes office in Rivers State, God willing.
Chris Finebone
State Publicity Secretary
Wed, December 2, 2015
