Magnus Abe, senator representing Rivers south-east senatorial district, has alleged that lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Rivers state house of assembly take taxis to work.
Abe said while the state government bought vehicles for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators, no provision was made for the six lawmakers of the APC.
He accused the administration of Nyesom Wike, the governor, of divisiveness, saying the action of the governor could lead to disunity in parliament.
Abe was speaking in Port Harcourt during a stakeholders’ meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
“Mr. President Sir, the Rivers state house of assembly has 32 members. Out of the 32 members, six are of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Only these six people take taxis to the assembly,” he said.
“All other members drive cars that were bought by the Rivers state government, and the governor tells us it is his personal contribution to the house and these other six people are not entitled.
“In an atmosphere of that nature, it is clear that there can be no unity because it is not the words that we say in the front of television cameras that will bring unity. It is the actions that we take when nobody is watching.”
Efforts made to reach Simeon Nwakaudu, spokesman of the governor, did not yield the desired result. He neither answered his call nor responded to a text message sent.
However, Abe also alleged that there was a “deliberate scheme” by the state authorities to prevent APC stakeholders from attending the meeting.
Abe, who is the chairman, senate committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the publicity materials which the APC mounted in strategic places to welcome Osinbajo, were destroyed by PDP members.
“At the forum, people talked so much about unity. How we all are united and how what was happening in government house is the united position of all Rivers people,’ he said.
“But, Mr President Sir, let me say that unity is not what we say or do when the acting president of Nigeria is seated and all the television stations are tuned in to what we are doing, unity is what we do when the acting president is not there; when the cameras are not there.
“As a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, I did not receive an invitation to the meeting. It was at the airport your own staff tried to give us invitation. That is not an act that will promote unity.
“We put up our banners to welcome you to this state, a leading member of PDP had the boldness to go and pull them down. We have reported the matter to the Police. We believe that action must be taken so that the impunity that existed before can no longer exist under this administration.
“I want to thank you for coming here today because if you did not come here, you will not have known that these numbers of Rivers people were shamelessly excluded from the forum.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on the federal government to take a very clear and decisive step to try to bring peace in Rivers State.”
