Incessant public holiday: Wike wants to be deified – APC

Soon after declaring as public holiday every January 27, the day he won his gubernatorial election case at the Supreme Court, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State also declared Friday, February 5, 2016 as another holiday for people of the state to still celebrate more, but the opposition has accused the governor of habouring ambitions  of a deity.

The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) says therefore, that it vehemently condemns the decision “because it is nothing more than a poorly conceived attempt at self-adulation that belongs to the past”.

                                                            

The APC is also worried that the governor had changed the reason earlier given for the work free day in the state, noting that it was to enable workers go home to participate in the previously scheduled rerun elections for Saturday, February 6, 2016.

The party further noted that the sudden transfer of the Rivers Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bayelsa-born Gesila Khan, may have caused confusion in the governor’s camp.

The APC said the governor may have found it difficult to reverse the holiday and decided to change the reason from going to participate in the election to that of setting the day apart for another round of celebrations for his court victory.

“Meanwhile, the governor had earlier announced every 27^th January as public holiday in Rivers State to mark his Supreme Court victory. The APC is well aware that this is the kind of dishonesty and somersaults Rivers people and residents will be living with in the years ahead”, the party screamed.

On the other hand, the APC recalled that former governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who changed Nigeria’s history with his landmark judgment at the Supreme Court on October, 25, 2007, never shut down the day but merely organised thanksgiving church service for willing worshippers. “Amaechi did not declare a single public holiday on that account throughout his stay as governor of Rivers State”.

The party which has since vowed to put up a robust opposition front in the state after efforts to dethrone Wike said it was likely that the governor did not appreciate the enormity of loss a public holiday created in any given economy especially costs occasioned by loss in man-hours across all sectors of the state’s economy. “It amounts to obscene and primitive self-adulation and ego trip to embark on inflicting on the economy of Rivers State, with a fledgling economy especially at this time of economic downturn, unnecessary waste through loss of man hours”, the party said through its spokesman, Chris Finebone.

The APC said it understood that the governor had several reasons to celebrate his victory especially considering the magnitude of what awaited him out of power, but advised the governor to remember that most of what he thought he has escaped would still await and catch up with him someday. “In politics, time runs faster than normal”.