Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the All Progressives Congress’s governorship candidate in Rivers State in 2015 and the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of mistreating the people of the state.

The governor, Peterside claimed, was presenting Rivers residents as lacking in “dignity, self-esteem, and freedom of choice.”

This was said by Peterside in a statement released on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He was disappointed by Governor Wike’s implication that he was the only one in command of the state and that no one could achieve anything politically without his approval.

He claimed that Wike was transforming himself into a “god of Rivers people” who needed to be worshipped, begged, lauded, and appeased if good fortune was to smile on them because of the authority he was holding in trust and his access to the commonwealth of Rivers people.

According to the statement, “Wike’s egoistical and authoritarian leadership style is the reason why Rivers State is the way it is today. His Commissioners are scared of telling him the truth.

“Wike’s unfounded and vainglorious arrogance is the reason why there is fear among his party members as the governor has become He who must be obeyed.

“Arrogance, greed, quest to acquire all properties in Port Harcourt and lack of respect for elders of Rivers State will be the beginning of Wike’s downfall. Wike literally prostrates and worships traditional rulers from other parts of the country, but disgustingly disrespects traditional rulers in Rivers State with such disdain,” Peterside bemoaned.

In addition, the former House of Representatives member revealed that the state government owed roughly N230 billion, contradicting the governor’s claim that his administration was debt-free.

“When I raised the alarm that there was not much on ground to justify all the multibillions borrowed, in addition to federal allocation and internally generated revenue, the governor rabble-roused and ran all over the media denying it.

“Just a few days ago, the Debt Management Office stated that Rivers was among the top three indebted states in Nigeria with debt exposure to the tune of N230bn.

“Will the governor now come out to say the DMO is lying? Or will he say he was not the one that borrowed the money? How can such a governor take his people for a ride?

“With his warped understanding of development underscored by over-concentration on brick and mortar governance, other sectors continue to suffer untold hardship and Rivers people are worse off for it perhaps without knowing it.

“For example, soot is presently ravaging the State but our governor is busy spending billions of naira ferrying people from all over Nigeria to commission roads of less than 800m or bridges less than 400m,” Peterside said.