I’ve No Personal Problem With Secondus, Says Wike

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has declared he has no personal
problem with National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Prince Uche Secondus.

Wike said his primary concern was to salvage the PDP from an
impending doom occasioned by inert leadership.

He said: “Everybody believed that whatever the national chairman
was doing was dictated by Wike and must have the backing of Wike. I
believe when you support somebody, support him to succeed.

“But when things are also going wrong, if you don’t speak out,
people will believe you are part of it. Therefore, I owe it as a
duty to say things are not going right.”

The Governor accused some members of the National Working
Committee (NWC) of stirring crisis in the party because of his
governorship ambition.

He warned the PDP should be wary of agents of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), bent in causing division in the
party.

He alleged persons causing problems in the party were some
former Governors and Ministers.

The Governor said he did not have problems with former
Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and was unaware if Atiku wants to
contest the presidency in 2023 because PDP has not yet zoned
it.

Wike,who spoke as a guest of a television programme in Port
Harcourt, said the resolution of the internal crisis rocking the
PDP allayed his initial fear of possible implosion of the
party.

He noted the manner in which PDP Governors and Board of Trustee
members resolved the crisis had given Nigerians hope the party was
prepared to takeover the realms of power from the ruling APC in
2023.

The Governor, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant,
Media, Kelvin Ebiri, explained it was not uncommon for a party to
experience internal squabble in view of the forthcoming poll and
varying interests, but commended PDP governors for coming together
to speak with one voice to end the differences.

He said: “I use to be afraid of possibility of an implosion and
that could have been the end of the party.

“But what I saw on Monday gave me a lot of confidence for the
first time. I have never seen that happen, the way the Governors
came together and spoke in a convivial manner with no dissenting
view. I was impressed.”

Commenting on the recent court judgement on Value Added Tax
(VAT) and other related taxes in the state, the Governor said the
State approached the court to seek an end to perceived infraction
of its rights and powers.

Wike, who accused the Federal Government of emasculating States
by usurping their constitutional rights and powers, revealed the
Federal Inland Revenue had surreptitiously written to the National
Assembly to amend the Constitution and make collection of VAT
exclusive to the Federal government.

He said: “The Federal Inland Revenue wrote a letter to the
National Assembly to amend the constitution to make VAT to be in
the exclusive list. So, we intercepted that letter and brought it
to court because they know that under the law, it is not within
their powers to collect these taxes.

“And in order to solve the problem, they wrote a letter to the
National Assembly to amend the constitution to make them have the
exclusive right. If they were right, they wouldn’t have done
that.”

The Governor revealed that he had already sent a bill to the
Rivers Assembly to empower the State Government to collect VAT and
other related taxes.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has declared he has no personal
problem with National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Prince Uche Secondus.

Wike said his primary concern was to salvage the PDP from an
impending doom occasioned by inert leadership.

He said: “Everybody believed that whatever the national chairman
was doing was dictated by Wike and must have the backing of Wike. I
believe when you support somebody, support him to succeed.

“But when things are also going wrong, if you don’t speak out,
people will believe you are part of it. Therefore, I owe it as a
duty to say things are not going right.”

The Governor accused some members of the National Working
Committee (NWC) of stirring crisis in the party because of his
governorship ambition.

He warned the PDP should be wary of agents of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), bent in causing division in the
party.

He alleged persons causing problems in the party were some
former Governors and Ministers.

The Governor said he did not have problems with former
Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and was unaware if Atiku wants to
contest the presidency in 2023 because PDP has not yet zoned
it.

Wike,who spoke as a guest of a television programme in Port
Harcourt, said the resolution of the internal crisis rocking the
PDP allayed his initial fear of possible implosion of the
party.

He noted the manner in which PDP Governors and Board of Trustee
members resolved the crisis had given Nigerians hope the party was
prepared to takeover the realms of power from the ruling APC in
2023.

The Governor, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant,
Media, Kelvin Ebiri, explained it was not uncommon for a party to
experience internal squabble in view of the forthcoming poll and
varying interests, but commended PDP governors for coming together
to speak with one voice to end the differences.

He said: “I use to be afraid of possibility of an implosion and
that could have been the end of the party.

“But what I saw on Monday gave me a lot of confidence for the
first time. I have never seen that happen, the way the Governors
came together and spoke in a convivial manner with no dissenting
view. I was impressed.”

Commenting on the recent court judgement on Value Added Tax
(VAT) and other related taxes in the state, the Governor said the
State approached the court to seek an end to perceived infraction
of its rights and powers.

Wike, who accused the Federal Government of emasculating States
by usurping their constitutional rights and powers, revealed the
Federal Inland Revenue had surreptitiously written to the National
Assembly to amend the Constitution and make collection of VAT
exclusive to the Federal government.

He said: “The Federal Inland Revenue wrote a letter to the
National Assembly to amend the constitution to make VAT to be in
the exclusive list. So, we intercepted that letter and brought it
to court because they know that under the law, it is not within
their powers to collect these taxes.

“And in order to solve the problem, they wrote a letter to the
National Assembly to amend the constitution to make them have the
exclusive right. If they were right, they wouldn’t have done
that.”

The Governor revealed that he had already sent a bill to the
Rivers Assembly to empower the State Government to collect VAT and
other related taxes.