The Rivers State polity was charged, yesterday, as Governor Nyesom Wike, again doubled his newly engaged Special Assistants, SAs, on Political Unit Affairs, which is expected to cost the state N42,000,000,000.
Wike, inaugurating the new SAs Batch 2 from Rivers East Senatorial District at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area, announced an increase from 100,000 to 200,000.
There were indications, yesterday, that the newly engaged 200,000 Units SAs are to receive a N30,000 monthly stipend while the wage for the 359 Constituency and Local Government Area Liaison Officers stays at N50,000.
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This means that between now and May 29, 2023, when Wike’s tenure will lapse, Rivers will pay the appointees N42.127 billion.
The appointments elicited criticisms from the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Rescue Movement, NRM, and Niger Delta Peace Coalition among others.
Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Emeka Beke, described the appointment of 200,000 persons as Special Assistants on Political Units by Governor Wike as a show of executive rascality, adding that the governor was bereft of ideas.
Beke alleged that what the governor has done was a tactical way of buying off votes of those acclaimed SAs, adding that the APC would resist every attempt of vote buying in the state.
He regretted that the governor was spending taxpayers’ money recklessly, alleging that Rivers was among the states in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s, watchlist.
Beke said: “I think the Governor is confused right now. He does not know what to do again. The governor is just displaying executive rascality.
“This is just a way he is restyling vote-buying. It is a way he wants to use to buy votes. You will also find out that Rivers State is one of the states that want to pay salary by hand.
“It is pure recklessness for the governor to use taxpayers’ money to buy votes and we will resist every of these attempts.”
