The Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, inaugurated the first batch of 100,000 political aides to serve in the run up to the 2023 general elections.

The latest inductees are to serve as Special Assistants on Political Unit Affairs in Rivers South-East and Rivers South West Senatorial Districts.

This comes after Mr Wike had earlier appointed 14,000 special advisers for the political units and 319 ward liaison officers.

At the swearing in ceremony in Port Harcourt, Mr Wike told the special assistants that their main duty was to be the eyes and ears of the government at the various political units.

“What is your duty? Your duty as Special Assistant to the Governor on Political Units is to the people where you come from. We have inaugurated Liaison Officers to the Governor at the constituencies, and we have inaugurated Liaison Officers for the 319 wards of the state.

“Now your own is more important because it’s you that hears directly from the people, it’s you that knows the feelings of the people about us. It’s you that will come and tell us what the people are saying. Are we doing well or we are not doing well, what do they want, what are they lacking?”

The governor further urged the new appointees to work hand in hand with the Ward Liaison Officers and their Constituency Liaison Officer in passing across key information from the election ground to the Governor’s Office.

In October, amidst criticism of his massive recruitment of political aides, Mr Wike disclosed that he was going increase the number to 100,000 special assistants.

Mr Wike in October appointed 28,000 special assistants for political units after which he said that the inauguration move was part of his political plan to reduce the level of poverty in the state.