•He is monstrously corrupt, needs psychiatric test —Wike
The war of attrition between Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his predecessor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, continued on Saturday.
The duo, among several others, accused each other of massive corruption and also implicated themselves in an alleged plan to cause violent crisis in the legislative rerun election scheduled to take place in the state next Saturday.
Throwing the first salvo, former Governor Amaechi, while speaking on a radio programme, monitored in Port Harcourt, alleged that Wike had so far received above N50 billion but his administration had nothing to show for it.
He further said the people of the state, nay Nigerians, would be shocked if he should reveal how much Wike allegedly stole, both as a former minister and as the state governor.
The former governor also accused his successor of planning to kill people on the day of the rerun election, but said Wike would be overwhelmed by the heavy security that would be on ground on the day.
But, Governor Wike fired back as he described his former boss as a psychiatric person and a “monstrously corrupt” public officer who would account for all the monies he allegedly stole when he was the governor.
Speaking at the PDP Rivers West Senatorial District Campaign rally at Ahoada, also, on Saturday, Wike said Amaechi was “a failed governor who needed urgent psychiatric evaluation and treatment.”
The governor also declared that Amaechi would face prosecution for corruption after the litigation against his indictment by the Justice George Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry over the alleged embezzlement of state funds.
Amaechi, in his comments against the Wike-led administration, said he had never critised or abused his own predecessor, Dr Peter Odili, having benefited from him (Odili).
“I benefited from Dr Peter Odili and I never criticised or abused him because he is my benefactor. But Nyesom Wike abuses me. There will continue to be a recurring decimal until Wike leaves.
“Wike has collected over 50 billion. He should show how he spent the money. Wike has abandoned schools built during my administration. Students now pay school fees.
“Some of our graduates became doctors. Some of those who benefited from the overseas scholarship in Canada became Canadian citizens.
“He has abandoned the hospitals. Wike is not a governor; he is only there to take money. Go to the [Federal] Ministry of Education. I was shown documents there. If you see the amount Wike has stolen, you will be shocked.
“Wike should tell us what he has done. By this time, when I was the governor, I was commissioning roads. Some of the roads that Wike is working on now were awarded to him when I was the governor.
“I did not enrol Rivers State students for the [National Examination Council] NECO because it is sub-standard. Let Nyesom Wike tell us one thing he has done. He is so scared of me.
“Wike did not come in as an Ikwerre governor; he came in because he was so desperate. The Ikwerres can’t be the sole expert in governance.
“Wike came so desperate as governor,” he said.
Speaking on the legislative rerun election, the former governor said the nation’s security apparatus would be deployed to stop whatever was the plan of Wike to disrupt the election.
Daring the governor, the Minister of Transportation said, “Marine Police and the Nigerian Navy will protect the national waterways, the areas within the purview of my ministry.
“I am daring Wike. Unlike the last election where he was writing results, that day (next Saturday), you will see security in Rivers that Wike will worry about security.
“With Dakuku Peterside becoming the Director General of NIMASA, we will use both the police and the army to police the waterways to Kula and to Bonny. Our waterways must be clear to allow investment.
“I want to assure the people of the state that the waterways will be protected on the day of election.
“I am the leader of APC in the state and I am here to see how Wike will shoot all of us. We want him to carry out his threat.
“On the day of the election, let everybody come out and vote. I will dare Wike and his boys to come out with guns.
“As of the time I left office, I was 75 per cent popular. I am not worried now; the person that is worried is Wike.
“That day (election day), you will see security and you will be surprised. I am going from village to village from tomorrow [today] to beg people to come out and vote,” he said.
Wike, however, fired back, as he said only a man with psychiatric disorder would compare “his failed eight years in office to just eight months of the new administration.”
He said the former governor failed in his eight years as the state chief executive, adding that “Amaechi lacks proper parental upbringing, hence his desperation in the political arena.”
The governor said the APC refused to campaign for the rerun election because its leaders and members in the state were allegedly relying on the military and security forces to rig.
“He is a psychiatric patient who was at the radio station, abusing people who are old enough to be his fathers/mothers simply because his party lost at the Supreme Court.
“We will defeat Amaechi again and again. No matter the (security agencies) deployed to Rivers State, PDP will win all the seats,” he said.
The governor added that the confession by Amaechi that the military had been handed over to him notwithstanding, the alleged plot to rig the election would fail woefully “as the Rivers people will defend their mandate.”
He also alleged that, as part of the plot, “Amaechi’s personal friend, Mr Tosin Ajayi, was posted to Rivers State as DSS director with the evil objective of creating the environment for rigging.
“Only yesterday (Friday), I intercepted the communication of the DSS director and the Brigade Commander where they were planning on the ways of rigging the election, alongside Amaechi. That plot has failed.
“Amaechi lacks sound parental upbringing. He has vindicated us when he said that he has been given the army to rig the rerun elections. I know the Chief of Army Staff very well; he should not allow a psychiatric patient to use the Army to rig.
“Is Amaechi now the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces that he talks about deploying soldiers? Our people will rise up to defend their votes; they will make the needed sacrifices (to protect) their votes.”
He reminded the people that, on May 27, 2015, Amaechi made a statement that his (Wike) administration would not be able to pay salaries and execute projects.
He said the former governor had, however, been confounded through the execution of what he described as pro-people projects across the state and payment of salaries and pensions.
The governor further said that, no matter the time it would take, his predecessor would face trial for allegedly stealing Rivers resources.
“If President Muhammadu Buhari visits Amaechi’s house in Asokoro, he will never allow him to come into Presidential Villa. After the case initiated by Amaechi over his indictment, he will face justice for embezzling state funds,” he added.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Dr Austin Tam-George, has described as shameless and irresponsible the statements made by Amaechi, in a television programme in Abuja and on a radio programme in Port Harcourt.
The former governor had accused the Rivers State government and the state Police Command of abetting and supporting criminals, and blamed both for the recent killings in some areas in the state.
Tam-George, in a statement made available to Sunday Tribune in Port Harcourt, on Saturday, said, “Throughout his rambling interviews during which he appeared mostly confused and inebriated, Mr Amaechi provided no shred of evidence to support his bizarre allegations.”
Contrary to Amaechi’s allegation, the commissioner said Governor Wike had given unprecedented financial and logistical support to the police and other security agencies in the state since he assumed office, 10 months ago.
“Within two months in office, Governor Wike released over 60 security-fitted vehicles to the police in the state. He also released over 30 vehicles to the joint security forces.
“Investigations by the Rivers State police command have shown again and again, that the killings witnessed in some areas of the state were the result of retributive attacks launched by rival cult gangs battling for supremacy.
“And in each case, the Rivers State Police Command, working with the state government, has made arrests and obtained vital intelligence from gang leaders in custody.
“There is a prosecutorial process already underway for those implicated in these criminal activities,” Tam-George said.
Tribune.
No comments:
Post a Comment