Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has increased the number of his newly appointed special assistants on political units from 100,000 to 200, 000.
The Governor, while inaugurating the last batch of the 100,000 appointees from Rivers East Senatorial District at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area on Friday, said he decided to increase the number to accommodate more people, who had shown willingness to work for him.
The Governor, who said the gesture was part of the stomach infrastructure he promised the state, asked local government chairmen to return to their domains and identify more people for appointments.
He said: “As I speak to you, my mail box almost crashed. People are sending text messages saying ‘why are you leaving us alone, the job is too much. This number cannot do the work’.
“Therefore, a lot of Rivers people are volunteering to be part of this work. And I can announce to you today, we have increased the number from 100,000 to 200,000.”
Wike, therefore, directed all political leaders of the various local government areas to return home to search out trustworthy people among the lot who they consider that can help the State retain its position in the comity of States.
To those who do not understand the rationale for the appointment, Wike said his administration was not taking the remaining few months for granted saying that the appointees would help his administration to finish well.
The Governor said: “Many people have said why am I appointing 100,000 special assistants? What are they going to do? I told them you are not the one that is appointing. It is me, who is appointing. It is me that wears the shoes that know where it pinches. I know what it takes and I know that these people are going to help me. Now that I am finishing, I want to finish well.
Wike further said that the appointment was in line with his promise to begin implementation of the policy of stomach infrastructure.
He said: “Remember when we inaugurated the Rebisi Flyover when Fashola came, remember I told you we had done a lot of infrastructures and there will come a time when we do stomach infrastructure.
“This is part of the stomach infrastructure. It is Rivers State money. If I invest Rivers State money on Rivers people, did I do wrong?
“All the local government, go home, identify your people to be part of this job to help Rivers State to see where we are in the comity of nations. It is very important.
“At the end of this month, you are taking your first salary. If they have what it takes, tell them to challenge us.”
Wike explained that their job included interfacing with the people to know their assessments of government projects, and policies, whether positive or negative and transmit same as feedback to his office through the constituency and ward liaison officers.
He said: “Your job is to go back to your units and find out what your people are saying in the various units. Are we doing well or we are not doing well. What do they want? What are they lacking? Above all they should tell us the feelings of Rivers people because we don’t want to make any mistake”.
The Governor congratulated the appointees and asked them to consider themselves fortunate that they were selected among about six million Rivers people to serve under his administration.
He said because their political leaders had found them trustworthy, they should commit to doing the task assigned to them effectively.