Rivers State Commissioner for Housing Barr Emma Okah said the former
Rivers State Governor Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is mischievous by
accusing the State Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of witch- hunting him through
probes.
Okah said this in reaction to press comments credited to Amaechi that the
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is witch-hunting him by probing
certain aspects of the past administration through a Judicial Commission
of Enqury.
According to Okah, there is nothing wrong or immoral for an administration
that received and managed about three Trillion Naira on behalf of the
people of Rivers State to explain some of her actions suspected to be
fraudulent. The people have the right to know, he said
“The Nyesom Wike administration is merely protecting the people’s interest
by inquiring into how public resources were wasted, stolen or
misappropriated by the past administration and every lover of democracy
and rule of law should not complain, blackmail the State Government or
divert attention from that”, the statement added.
Explaining further, Okah said that the simple thing Amaechi needs to do,
if invited by any commission of enquiry, is to state his own side of the
story and tender documents to buttress his case. There is nothing to fear
if his hands are clean, he said.
The Commissioner also said that certain things must be clarified by the
Amaechi Government, noting that the State cannot close her eyes to some
grave allegations of corruption against the Amaechi government.
“Is it proper for Amaechi to sell off 70% of the Rivers State Government
interests in the State’s four power stations (Eleme, Omoku, Afam and Trans
Amadi, Port Harcourt) at the cost of $302,400M and the entire money was
withdrawn between December 2014 and April 2015 without any document of
transaction or payment into any Government account. Who owns the Bureau de
Change Company that received the money and who authorized the receipt and
where is the money?
Is it witch-hunt for Amaechi to pay out $39M to his cronies for the
purpose of building the Karibi Whyte Mega Hospital and till today, not a
single block is standing?
Is it witch hunt for the former Governor to withdraw the sum of N812M in
May 2015 for the purpose of furnishing his private house in Asokoro, Abuja
even when workers salaries and pensions were in arrears?
Is it witch-hunt for the sum of N200M to be withdrawn in cash from the
various accounts of Ministry of Works on May 28, 2015 for no official
purpose.
Is it witch hunt for the Amaechi government to sell two aircraft belonging
to the State and till today there is no word on the sale proceeds or the
processes?
Is it witch-hunting for the sum of N2Bn Agricultural loan which Amaechi’s
government took from the CBN to be paid out to fake cooperative groups
created by his aides as grants? Should Rivers people not know who and who
took these monies as the State will repay the money to CBN?
Is it witch-hunting to seek explanation on the bogus monorail project
which has been adjudged to be the biggest fraud conduit in Rivers State
under the former government? “, Okah queried.
Finally, should Amaechi not explain how he budgeted N2Bn for scholarship
to Rivers scholars abroad and before his eyes, the Consultants who paid
the money took out N900M as their fees, leaving only N1.1BN for the
stranded students and yet Amaechi cries witch-hunt.
Therefore Wike is not witch-hunting Amaechi. Rivers people expect Amaechi
to face these questions with the same bravery that he is known for.
Shouting about witch-hunt is not the solution, Okah added.