Recently, Governor Wike openly confessed that his administration has failed woefully in managing wastes and keeping the State clean despite billions of Naira it has sunk into waste management. As usual, he did not fail to blame the RIWAMA boss, Felix Obuah who is also the Chairman of PDP in Rivers State, for his insufferable incompetence and inability to effectively discharge the duties of his office. In that statement, the Governor, quickly announced that he has done well enough in his administration.
Shockingly, Only a couple of days ago, Governor Wike has again, publicly admitted that the N500 Million his government releases to the Rivers State Waste Management Agency, RIWAMA, monthly, is regrettable and a huge waste as the Felix Obuah-led RIWAMA has failed completely in its responsibility to efficiently manage wastes in the State and ensure its surroundings are kept clean.
The big question in the mouth of keen observers is why the Governor has refused to sack Felix Obuah for his glaring incompetence yet cries out publicly against the failure of the agency to manage waste.? Why should Governor Wike continue to subject the State to avoidable wastage and expenses by continuing to spend half a billion Naira monthly on an agency that is almost comatose?
With this development and the seeming handicapped state of Governor Wike to take charge and wield the big stick, it becomes obvious that the appointment of Felix Obuah as RIWAMA boss by the Governor is a quid pro quo for the services the former rendered to him before and during the 2015 Governorship elections in Rivers State and was never based on competency or merit. Perhaps, Mr. Felix Obuah has a lot of worms to un-can should he be fired and this puts the Governor in a helpless position. At best, the Governor can only bark but never bite!
As observers and participants in the political sphere who are patriotically concerned about the progress of Rivers State, we call on Governor Wike to immediately relieve Felix Obuah, of his position as the Sole Administrator of RIWAMA. Rivers people are tired of the Governor’s endless excuses for failing in his responsibilities. If the Governor is not blaming President Buhari today, he is blaming Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Police IG, or F-SARS Commander and his operatives. At every point of failure, Governor Wike goes public with puerile and irrational excuses. Such high level of mediocrity and inconsistency in governance are completely not helpful to the well-being of the State and must be put to end.