Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele and the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, have directed managing directors of banks to deny the state cash during the weeks of this year’s polls.

Governor Wike said he received the information on the illegal cash strangulation of the state by few bank managing directors, who attended the meeting with the CBN governor and EFCC.

Addressing thousands of supporters during a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, yesterday, Governor Wike said the unconstitutional initiative by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government will fail woefully. 

He said: “The CBN governor and the EFCC chairman invited the managing directors of banks and told them to deny Rivers State cash during the elections. 

“We have passed that stage. Nobody can gag us. Before now, we prepared for the elections. They should not bother, because we are ready.”

The governor said rather than cry over the insistence of the international community that the APC-led Federal Government should conduct credible polls, President Muhammadu Buhari should emulate former president Goodluck Jonathan, who organised free and fair elections and lost.

“In 2015, the APC went to the international community and got their support. They supported them and the PDP lost. 

‘Today, the APC Federal Government is crying because the international community is insisting on credible polls. 

“President Buhari should conduct credible polls and earn international respect. Buhari should emulate former president Jonathan. He should not rig with security agencies because it will not work,” he said.

The governor declared that PDP is ready for the forthcoming general election as the party is preferred by Rivers people and has a history of resounding electoral victories. 

“PDP is ready for elections. We have won all previous elections  in the state.  In 2015, they claimed we won because of Jonathan. But we won all the rerun elections under Buhari administration, except the ones they snatched illegally. 

“If not for their planned  reliance on security agencies, nobody will collect  APC nomination forms. There is no imprint of APC anywhere in Rivers State,” he said.

He charged the people of the area to vote for Atiku Abubakar and other PDP candidates. 

The governor announced that he would start the electrification of the area, stating that during his second term, his first project would be to connect Wakama to Ogu by road.

Governor Wike  urged the people to remain faithful to the PDP because it is the only party that considers the welfare and development of the people. 

Rivers PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, thanked the Ogu/Bolo people for supporting Rivers State governor and other PDP candidates. He presented the PDP candidate for Rivers East Senatorial District, George Sekibo, PDP candidate for Okrika/Ogu/Bolo Federal Constituency, Bright Gogo and the candidate for Ogu/Bolo State Constituency, Evans Bipi,  to the people and asked them to vote for them .

On his part, Sekibo said the people of the area will always support Wike. 

Meanwhile, the EFCC, reacting to the allegation through its acting Head of Media, Tony Orilade, said the commission cannot verbally instruct banks on a sensitive issue like that.

“EFCC chairman can never give such an order. Everything done by Magu of EFCC are backed up by laws. Let us be careful not to drag the name of the EFCC on such a laughable issue,” he said.

Efforts to get CBN’s reactions failed. Calls to Director of Corporate Affairs of the apex bank, Isaac Okorofar, were not picked.

Also messages sent to him demanding his responsse were not answered.