Gov Wike loses SA, Pilot on new year day

The Executive Governor of Rivers state, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is in deep mourning.

He is not only mourning the 17 innocent and defenceless souls dispatched to their early graves on new year eve, on their ways back from the traditional cross over services by unknown gunmen in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA (ONELGA) of the state, but also the deaths on same day of his newly appointed Special Adviser and a Pilot in the services of the state government.

Incidentally however, both top ranking government officials were illustrious sons of Etche LGA of the state, throwing the area into mourning on first day of the new year.

Reliable sources close to the family of the late Special Adviser, Hon Godwin Ejim Nwanyanwu informed the Daily Times that the Special Adviser from Ulakwo town in Ulakwo/Umuselem clan of the LGA was said to have slumped in his bedroom shortly after returning from the cross over service and all efforts to revive him failed. His corpse has since been deposited in an undisclosed mortuary.

The late SA was among the newly appointed Special Advisers by the state governor who are yet to be assigned portfolios.

In the same vein, late Mr Emeka Nwogu, from Akpoku in Mba clan of the LGA who was a retired Airforce Pilot on the services of the state government as a Pilot was said to have attended a ceremony in Ngwa in Abia state where he slumped and died.

There are however two versions of how he died. One version says that he slumped while spraying the celebrant and the other version has it that he slumped in his car when they were about to depart from the event.

All efforts to confirm the news from the state Information Commissioner, Hon Emma Okah and the governor’s spokesman, Simeon Nwakaudu proved abortive. Also contacted for comments was Hon Tony Uchechukwu Ejiogu, member representing Etche constituency two in the state House of Assembly. “We in Etche LGA are in mournful mood right now. It is very sad that we lost two of our illustrious sons. But who are we, we can’t question God,” he told our correspondent.