Rivers: Again, Wike Strikes, Revokes Senator’s Land Allocation

By  Charles Igbo

Senator Lee Maeba has been visited by Governor Nyesom Wike’s wrath.

Senator Maeba is one of the high profile Rivers Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders blacklisted by Wike for hobnobing with the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, a man Wike is at loggerheads with since he lost the Presidential ticket to him and, also, lost out in Atiku’s pick of a running mate. Atiku chose the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in Wike’s stead.

Wike had sworn to deal with any Rivers PDP member who  associates with Atiku. Maebe is one of them. And he was the first to tell the public that Wike had removed all of them – a Supreme Court-sacked former Governor of the State, Sir Celestine Omehia, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, former Minister for Transportation, Dr Abike Sekibo and many more – from all party and Government positions they held before.

On November 2, 2022, Wike visited  Senator Maeba with another punishment. He revoked the land allocated to Maeba.

The revocation letter to Maeba, signed by the Ag. Director/HOD Acquisition, Valuation and Compensation of the Ministry of Lands and Survey, Ochiagha Onyebuchi, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, gave no reason for the revocation.

The letter reads: “I am directed to inform you that your allocation at Plot 20A Golf Course Layout, Old GRA, Porthacourt, has been canceled as shown on the attached Rivers State Official Gazette No.22, Volume 58, dated 20th September, 2022.

“Please accept the warm regards of the Permanent Secretary.”

Last month, the Rivers State Government, acting on a motion by the House of Assembly, de-recognised Omehia as a former Governor. Omehia was not only stripped of all entitlements and privileges, including a State honours award, he was asked to refund about N690m paid to him by the State Government as pension and other things.

Not a few people insist that the Assembly acted on the behest of Wike.

Senator Maeba had not said a word over the revocation of the plot at the time of filing this report, but followers of PDP politics in the State say Governor Wike is on a vengeance mission.