In Nigeria, Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike is easily the the most talked about politician in recent times. Every day, he gladly graces the front pages and grabs the headlines of major newspapers, and it doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.
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Digressing from the prolonged feud between him and his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the dust raised by Wike over the appointment of 50,000 special assistants for various political units in the state is yet to settle.
This bizarre development comes a few months to the end of Wike’s tenure as Rivers Governor. According to Wike’s media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, the governor had first appointed 28,000 aides, and then he reviewed it to the appointment of 50,000 aides in total. There are even indications that the governor is planning to increase it to 100,000.
In Wike’s usual expeditious manner, the advisers, who were not named, are to resume immediately, and are expected to play ‘pivotal’ roles in the administration.
Many observers are indeed bewildered with the many political intrigues happening in the state. It is believed that Wike’s latest antics is to smartly secure his home base where he appears to be very much in control at this time especially for his governorship candidate, Sim Fubara.
For many political watchers, the appointment of a retinue of aides at a time the administration is winding down, signals a fresh start of a new round of campaign for the electioneering season. Many of these ‘ghost aides’ are just hangers-on as their assignments are not even clearly spelt out.
While some observers believe these appointments smack of insensitivity, as well as breeds corruption and will clearly overburden the state’s treasury, others, however, think it is a way to create employment.
