A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has described as ‘dead on arrival’ the call for the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.

In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Port Harcourt yesterday, Eze accused the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, of being behind the call.

He described comments credited to the APC caretaker committee chairman in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, over the federal government’s loans from China for rail projects during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as a ploy to sway unsuspecting members of the public into a perpetually futile scheme of smear campaign against the former minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.

The APC chieftain restated that the terms of the loan are in compliance with the provisions of Section 41 (1a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 adding that the low interest rate of 2.5 percent per annum reduces the interest-cost to government while the long tenure makes it easy for the repayment of the principal sum of the loans over many years.

Eze insisted that Okocha does not have the authority of APC in Rivers State to speak on their behalf in whatever capacity, adding that every opinion expressed by the party’s caretaker committee chairman represents his personal view.

He called on President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to disregard the calls for emergency rule in the state, pointing out that the motives of those behind the call were in sharp contrast to the administrative precepts of President Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.