*Rivers State Government. petitions to defense minister and others regarding former governor’s plot to ignite violence during election

* Declares today a public holiday, to release 570 million naira for youth

* Says drinking 50 million naira every week is better than destroying houses

Ibunge Blessing in Port Harcourt

Yesterday, Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, alleged that the reason why his predecessor and former Transport Minister, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, is desperate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate to ), Mr. Tonye Cole, becoming governor of the state was “to defeat their pending prosecution for theft.

Wike said so yesterday in a statement.
According to Wike, “if Amaechi has a modicum of conscience, he will know who should be accused of stealing state resources.”
The statement noted that Amaechi, “who has yet to recover from the devastating political blow inflicted on him since 2015 by Governor Nyesom Wike, has recently developed a penchant for making spurious and baseless allegations against the Governor of Rivers State”.

He added, “It is rather ridiculous that former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who is on trial along with his pal, Tonye Cole, for misappropriation of $50 million belonging to the state government, returns and accuses Governor Nyesom Wike of theft.
“It will be recalled that Amaechi had surreptitiously sold the assets of the Rivers State government, including the gas turbine power plants built by the administration of Dr Peter Odili, to Tonye Cole’s company, Sahara Energy, for the sum of 308 million dollars.

“This money was paid out in December 2014. By the time Governor Wike took office on May 29, 2015, what was left in the account was $308,000. To date, Amaechi has not been able to recognize $307,692,000.00 from turbine sales.
“Curiously too, under the watch of Amaechi, the sum of $50 million was transferred from the government of Rivers State to Access Bank in Sahara Energy. It is for these reasons that he is being sued with Tonye Cole.

“It is ironic that Amaechi, who sold Rivers State owned Olympia Hotel to Tonye Cole and wasted over 50 billion naira on a now derelict one kilometer monorail to pretend he loves Rivers State.
“There is no doubt that the reason Amaechi desperately wants Tonye Cole to become Governor of Rivers State is to defeat their ongoing robbery charges.

“If Amaechi has a modicum of conscience, he will know who should be accused of stealing state resources.”
In a related development, the Rivers State government has requested the Minister of Defence, Chief of Army Staff and other relevant authorities not to release army personnel in Amaechi or any politician to interfere in Saturday’s election.

Wike, in a state broadcast yesterday, said the state government decided to seek the above based on credible intelligence pointing to Amaechi and the APC’s plans to invade and disrupt the elections of Saturday in Rivers State with army personnel and civilian thugs and cultists dressed in army and police uniforms.

The governor alleged that Amaechi, who alongside Cole was indicted by a court of inquiry for fraudulently acquiring the state’s valuable assets and embezzling the state’s $50,000,000 to them- themselves, wanted to trigger violence in Saturday’s elections.
“We have written to advise the Hon. Minister of Defence, the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army and the General Officer Commanding the 6th Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, and requested that no servicemen be released at Rotimi Amaechi or to any other politician for interfering with the events of next Saturday. elections in Rivers State.

“Furthermore, we have noticed that the State Police Command’s Counter-Terrorism Unit continues to provide VIP security services to politicians in defiance of the Inspector General’s order to remove all police personnel attached to VIP during the elections.
“We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to enforce his order by ensuring that all political leaders are confined to their polling stations and prevented from moving under police escort,” he added.

Wike also called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute 127 local politicians he said were plotting to disrupt the election with armed thugs, cultists and gangsters in military and police uniforms.
Wike said the state government expects the Security High Command to deliver on its promise to provide adequate security throughout the state to prevent any security breaches or breakdowns in public order during and after the elections.

“We assure everyone that we will do everything in our power to resist and prevent a repeat of what happened in 2019 when the Nigerian military was used to rig, kill our people and destroy property during the wars. statewide elections,” he added.
The governor urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to guarantee and ensure that next Saturday’s elections are free, fair and credible, allowing the electorate to decide their leaders.

Governor Wike emphasized that with the quality of progress made by his administration over the past eight years, it was evident that Rivers State would be more remarkable and closer to fulfilling its goal if the current pace of development were strengthened. and maintained over the next four years.
Meanwhile, pledged to release the sum of N570 million to the youths of Rivers State for the construction of their permanent secretariat and accrued grants.

This followed the request of the State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Mr. Chijioke Ihunwo, urging the Governor to take into account the plight of the youth and release the long-awaited accumulated grants.
The NYCN State Chairman, while speaking at a solidarity rally hosted by Tony Okocha in Port Harcourt, in support of Fubara during the gubernatorial election, reminded the governor during the event the accumulated grants of 70 million naira.

Ihunwo said the youths were happy with the reduction in insecurity and the level of infrastructure development in the state.
He demanded that the 10,000 jobs be reserved for young people and not political godfathers, saying that “any attempt by a politician to submit a list for the 10,000 jobs will be resisted”.

Responding to NYCN’s request, Governor Wike said the youth leadership would handle the allocation of the 10,000 jobs.
Wike further requested the state leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria to immediately go to the Government House and collect their accumulated grants totaling N70 million.

He then announced that 500 million naira would be released to begin construction of what he called a proper state secretariat in Port Harcourt.
Reacting to the accusation of spending 50 million naira on drinking alcohol every week, Wike said he would drink more instead of using his money to destroy families.
“Someone said that I was spending 50 million naira on drinking in a week, but it’s better than spending money on destroying houses. I like to treat myself. They are angry that I want drink 40-year-old whiskey to celebrate Fubara’s victory, this time I will bring 80-year-old whiskey for the celebration,” boasted Wike.

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