The Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanakpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro has congratulated the duo of the former governors of Rivers, Ebonyi States, Nyesom Wike, Dave Umahi and the former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo on their recent appointment as Ministers in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration describing them as high flyers in service delivery.
The congratulatory message was contained in a statement the Mayor who doubles as the founder of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A issued in Abuja, on Thursday. The president had on Wednesday handed over portfolios to his ministerial appointees.
The former Rivers State helmsman was assigned the Federal Capital Territory, while Umahi was assigned the portfolio of the Ministry of Works while Keyamo, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace development
Akpodoro commended the President for the calibre of technocrats his government has chosen to engage, noting that, the current administration has demonstrated its capacity to rebuild and reengineer a new and workable Nigeria where every segment of the nation has been carried along in inclusive administration based on national character and competence.
He recalled the successes achieved by the two former governors in their respective states saying, they left footprints of massive material and human developments in the sand of time.
Pointedly, the Ughelli South Local Government Area-born Mayor further stressed that the Minister of the FCT “changed the template of governance in the garden city and environs as he took infrastructure development to the doorstep of the masses of Rivers State.”
He noted that, there’s no doubt in the minds of the Nigerian people that President Tinubu has appointed core Progressives forces who will change the face of service delivery to the citizenry without let or hinderance as he described Keyamo, SAN as a top-notch in all he does saying he is not known for any act of failure.
He called on the trio to hit the ground running in their respective ministries stating that Nigerians expect optimal performance from them.
The Okene/Benin road according to the ex-militant leader is crying for attention noting that the carnage on the road occasioned by its poor state is beyond imagination as he called on the Umahi-led Ministry to declare emergency on that stretch of road including East-West Road and others which he said are a death traps.
“Previous administration made efforts to fix the roads but their best was not good enough owing to dearth of project monitoring on the part of agents of government most of whom were lackadaisical. We have implicit confidence in the capacity and competence of the former Ebonyi State governor. He is tested and trusted.
“Honourable Wike in his own part should revisit Abuja masterplan with a view to righting the wrongs of our immediate past. Abuja should be lighten up again, illegal structures should give way while infrastructure is made core priorities of his Ministry.”
In his response to critics of Keyamo’s portfolio, the vociferous Mayor noted that the Senior Advicate of Nigeria will disappoint his critics in his sterling performance at the end of the day, adding that appointment into any position is about managerial competence and not about field of study.
Keyamo, he said, has both the mental and psychological capacity to manage any organisation to the greatest height.
“We know Nigeria is a cynical society where people bellyache over the progress of others and such unhealthy development defines witchcraft in its spirit and letters.
Keyamo will surely raise the bar. He is not the first lawyer to be so appointed as the Minister of Aviation. A lawyer in the person of Femi Fani-Kayode at a time headed that same Aviation Ministry.
With the incited hue and cry by disgruntled elements, it goes to show that the name, Keyamo send jitters down the spines of his tradducers.
“I heartily congratulate and wish them success in the respective ministries while we pray Nigeria succeeds.” His Excellency stated.
