Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has taken a swipe at his predecessor and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, saying the ruling All Progressives Congress has been protecting its stalwart, Ameachi from facing the appropriate authorities after his alleged failure to account for proceeds gotten from the sale of some assets in Rivers State.
Wike said it was deceitful for the Federal Government to commission the rehabilitation of a narrow-gauge railway from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri in times like these when governments in other climes were constructing world class gauge railway.
Wike, while speaking during the inauguration of 6.1 km long and 7.3 metre-wide Omuihuechi-Omuoko-Omokiri link road in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area on Wednesday.
Wike, who expressed disappointment at the Federal Government for allegedly shielding Rotimi Ameachi after allegations of misappropriation of over $308 million as funds from the sale of the state-owned power plant and other critical assets while he served as Rivers State Governor.
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The governor who said the shielding of Ameachi from questioning was only encouraging the Minister to further undermine the state government by influencing the posting of Commissioners of Police and General Commanding Officers of the Army to the state at his will.
According to Wike:
People gave you the opportunity. You sold our properties, everything. And people are talking in this state because of the government that says they are fighting corruption and protecting people. You (Amaechi) sold our property for $308 million and kept for us $208,000. That is the kind of people parading themselves in government, for a government that says they are fighting corruption, shame.
Wike called on the people not to be distracted by the “politically motivated” projects by the state government.
In his words:
I heard people came to Rivers State to flag-off narrow gauge (rail) when the world is talking of standard gauge. What they are giving Rivers State is a narrow gauge because I challenged them; show us what you have done for the people of the state. So, what they will do is to come and say okay, since you are complaining let us come and give you that narrow gauge.
Instead of giving us the standard gauge to Maiduguri and they are making noise about it. Rivers State, the Treasure Base of the Nation, the state that they used their money to produce their President. Towards the end of their administration is when they come and tell us of the narrow gauge railway.
You want to finish the narrow gauge in 33 months. Will he be in power then? I am going to finish every project I have awarded, this government will finish it.
The governor also said the proposed University in Ubima was just a white elephant project.
“Since 2015 it is now you want to go to Ubima to build University of Transport”, he said.
The very outspoken governor berated Ameachi’s alleged plan to clip his guber ambition, saying he won two governorship elections in the state even in the midst of Amaechi’s high end opposition.
They said we will not be governor, we taught them a lesson in politics. In 2015, they said over their dead body will we be governor, am looking for the dead body. 2019 they said we will not be governor that they are in power. I said you are not in power, God is in power. We defeated them. They are small kids in politics.
But let me warn the man who thinks he has President, he has soldiers, he has police, you should have learnt your lesson by now, that when God has left you there is nothing you can do again.
Governor Wike, who has been on a commissioning and project flag-off spree in recent times, has also been constantly lambasting the APC-led administration, saying only the Peoples Democratic Party can salvage the country.
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