From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and Mr Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the state, plot to plunder the state’s resources again would never materialise.
Governor Wike, who spoke at the inauguration of the Rukpakwulusi/Eliogbolo internal roads yesterday, said that Amaechi’s criticism of the ongoing projects inauguration and flag-off in Rivers State smacked of envy and malice.
He noted that Amaechi having failed to account for the $308 million proceeds from the sales of the state power plants by his administration, lacks the moral rectitude to speak on the affairs of Rivers State.
His words: “Why should we not celebrate, when you sold our gas turbine at the cost of $308 million. Convert it today at even N500, how much will it be? What can you show for the money, certainly nothing?”
The governor urged Rivers people to be wary of the antics of the former minister who desperately wants Cole, his business partner, to become governor, so that they could continue to loot the resources of Rivers State.
“All the gas turbines that Dr Peter Odili bought, where are they today? So you think Rivers people are foolish to see that you are bringing the person, your business partner to come and be governor so that you will continue to loot where you stopped. It will never happen,” Wike said.
He advised the former minister to perish the thought that there would be a re-enactment of the 2019 foiled attempt to use the Army to rig general election in the state in 2023.
Governor Wike recalled that on May 27, 2015, while he was still governor-elect, Amaechi who was then the state governor bragged at Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt, that the incoming government would not have money to pay salaries and execute projects.
“So, today by the grace of God, we are not only paying salaries, we are not only paying pensioners, we are not only paying gratuities that he did not pay, we have gone beyond that to carry out projects which he failed to carry out. And so, we should celebrate it, let him know that nobody is God.”
The Rivers State governor said it was disheartening that while as a federal minister, Amaechi never attracted any project to the state, claiming that Amaechi’s supporters have started to desert him because he lacks integrity.
Giving the project description, the Commissioner for Works, George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo, explained that the project started slightly over 12 months ago and has been completed to scope.
Former President, Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze Okocha, SAN, who hails from the area commended Governor Wike for the project.
“When I came to live in the village, it was a real village. All this place was forest and farmland, but today it is a new layout. We thank the government of Rivers State for helping us recover some of our land that had been acquired by the Federal Government, in fact, the colonial government.”