FROM TONY JOHN, PORT HARCORT
Governor Nyesom Wike disbanded the Rivers State Executive Council and expressed his deep gratitude to the Cabinet members for their service to the government and the state.
The Premier announced the dissolution following a special farewell meeting of the State Executive Council at Port Harcourt Government House on Thursday.
Governor Vic directed all commissioners to hand over government property in their custody to the permanent secretaries or senior directors of their respective ministries.
He praised the tremendous sacrifice, commitment and dedication of the cabinet members responsible for the enormous changes the country has undergone over the past eight years.
“Today everyone is saying we’re doing a great job, no one is doing a great job, everyone is doing a great job. The Governor can’t be everywhere. The Governor needs someone who works for him. All he does is find out from time to time Whether things are going well.
“So, to me, it’s not about me that I’m doing well. It’s all of you in this room who are responsible for what makes our glorious country today, and they work from morning to night. I want to sincerely thank you for your support.”
Premier Vick said all those who served in Cabinet could walk home with confidence, successfully changing the governance narrative in the country.
“Happy to say, yes, when they said Rivers State became one of the leading states in the country, I was there; when they said there was an infrastructure revolution in the state, when they said we stood our ground and challenged the authorities . We stood our ground and fought the federal government when we knew it was violating the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Governor of Rivers State recalled that at the beginning of the government in 2015, it faced a series of challenges due to the hostility of the federal government, which eventually led to the cancellation of the gubernatorial, state and national assembly elections.
“In 2015, when elections from state legislature to national assembly to governor were called off, we remained undaunted. There were replays and replays, but God was on our side. We survived, we never flinched and said Truth. We have never been afraid to speak our faith and we give God the glory. I want to sincerely thank all of you for your contributions.”
Governor Vic described the previous administration as ruthless and looting of state assets without a formal handover to his administration. However, he thanked God for the privilege that he would successfully hand over to the incoming government of Sir Simialayi Fubara.
The Premier implored Cabinet members to pray earnestly for the success of the new government. According to him, “All we need is to pray for the incoming government and support them. If he thinks it is necessary for you to join his cabinet, please do not refuse to let us down.”
In his farewell address, Rivers State Lieutenant Governor Ipalibo Harry-Banigo thanked the governor for the honor of becoming the state’s first female lieutenant governor since statehood in 1967.
She said history would remember Governor Vic’s gender-sensitive policies that paved the way for another woman, Professor Ngozi Odu, to be her successor.
Tammy Danagogo, former Secretary of the Rivers State Government, said in his speech that he was proud to be part of Governor Vic’s transformational government that transformed the state through impactful infrastructure projects appearance.
Likewise, Services Director Rufus Godwin said when Governor Vic took office in 2015, the state had a reported 54,472 public servants on her payroll. But with the introduction of the biometric system, that number has been reduced to 39,451.
Emeka Woke, former chief of staff at Port Harcourt Government House, thanked Premier Vic for the opportunity to serve the country under his government.
Former Rivers State Attorney General and Judiciary Commissioner Professor Zacchaeus Adangor said that as a result of his appointment, he learned how to apply the law in the public interest.
Professor Adangor praised Governor Vic for taking back Rivers wells from other states through the ministry.
Former works commissioner George-Kelly Dakorinama Alabo revealed that Premier Wike’s government had built more than 920 kilometers and 600 kilometers of drains since 2015.