- Wike: Amaechi desperately wants Cole to become governor to frustrate their ongoing trial for theft
A former Minister of Transportation and erstwhile Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Rivers people to come out on election day, vote and stand to protect their votes, stating that it was the only way to put a stop to Governor Wike’s stealing.
But in his reaction on Thursday, Wike alleged that the reason why Amaechi, his predecessor desperately wants the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Tonye Cole to become governor of the state was “to frustrate their ongoing prosecution for theft.”
Amaechi said, unlike Cole, who has a mind of his own, Wike wanted to continue his stealing of Rivers resources by installing his errand boy.
Amaechi spoke yesterday during his campaign visit to the popular Mile 3 Market in Port Harcourt, and electoral wards in Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas to canvass voters for APC’s Cole.
In Elele, he said, “Wike is tribalistic. Wike does not even support Ikwerre people, Wike supports only himself and his pocket, and his garrulous mouth. We will win. You need to come out and vote and make us win. People are tired of Wike and his stealing.
“And I’m not joking when I said Wike drinks N50 million worth of whiskey a week. He has no shame; he is like a mad man. If he has shame, he would not have gone on national television and say when Atiku was demonstrating at INEC office, he was drinking 40-year-old whiskey. Is he well?
“If he takes me to court, I will still call him a thief. Wike can never take me to court for libel. It’s so easy to prove. I will show his properties, let him tell us how he got the money to build those properties. He is taking me to court for corruption, see a thief taking someone to court,” Amaechi said.
Amaechi, who stated that the problem was with the people, who would rather collect money from Wike and mortgage their future, explained that, “Wike is not our problem, you are the problem. If he comes here now (with money), you start dancing.
“If Wike gives you 10 million naira, when you give him power, he steals 1billion naira. Wike has abandoned everything, schools, health centres, just to make money. We cannot continue like that. In Rivers State, Wike is the contractor and all the money is in his pocket.
“If there’s one man, who has developed Elele, I am the one. I did the internal roads of Elele, I gave your children contracts for water, so if you don’t have water, don’t blame me. They put the money in their pockets. All of them are now in PDP.
“I built your primary schools and they were free of charge. I built your Health Centre. I made sure you had light. I hear for 4 years now you have no light. How will your economy grow? And your people are still queuing up and following Wike about,” he said.
In his response, Wike alleged that the reason why Amaechi desperately wants Cole to become governor of the state was “to frustrate their ongoing prosecution for theft.”
According to Wike, “If Amaechi has any modicum of conscience, he will know who actually should be accused of stealing state’s resources.”
The statement noted that Amaechi, “who is yet to recover from the devastating political blow inflicted on him since 2015, by governor Nyesom Wike, has of recent developed a penchant for making spurious and baseless allegations against the Rivers State governor.”
It added: “It is rather ludicrous for the former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who is standing trial with his crony, Tonye Cole for embezzlement of $50 million belonging to the State government, to turn around and accuse Governor Nyesom Wike of stealing.
“It will be recalled that Amaechi had surreptitiously sold Rivers State government assets including the gas turbine power stations built by the Dr Peter Odili’s administration to Tonye Cole’s company, Sahara Energy at the sum of $308 million.
“This money was paid in December 2014. By the time Governor Wike assumed office on 29th May, 2015, what was left in the account was $308,000. Until date, Amaechi had been unable to account for $307,692,000.00 being proceeds from the sales of the turbines.
“Curiously too, under Amaechi’s watch, the sum of $50 million was transferred from Rivers State government in Access Bank to Sahara Energy. It is for these reasons that he is being prosecuted with Tonye Cole.
“It is ironical that Amaechi, who sold Rivers State owned Olympia Hotel to Tonye Cole and squandered over N50B on now abandoned one kilometre monorail to pretend that he loves Rivers State. There is no doubt that the reason why Amaechi desperately wants Tonye Cole to become governor of Rivers State is to frustrate their ongoing prosecution for theft.
“If Amaechi has any modicum of conscience, he will know who actually should be accused of stealing state resources.”
