Wike: Amaechi, champion of “bad government”
Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State, sold State assets provided by Governor Peter Odili to Sahara Energy.Governor Nyesom Wike says his predecessor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi instead of himself holds an excellent record in maladministration.
Wike spoke Sunday night at a State Banquet to mark the advent of the new year while responding to Amaechi who had accused him of running a bad government.
According to the Governor, Governor Amaechi, as he then was, shut down the judiciary during his tenure in order to emasculate that sensitive arm of government.
He said nothing could be worse in terms of bad government than the effontery displayed by Amaechi in denying lawyers as well as the people the right to use the Temple of Justice.
Governor Nyesom Wike: Rotimi Amaechi showed disrespect for the judiciary and fundamental rights.
Wike accused Amaechi of staging a coup against the judiciary and the right to liberty.
“He denied people liberty; denied people access to justice. Nobody can stage a coup against the judiciary in any developed society and (you) go free.
“It is only in Nigeria that somebody can stage a coup against the judiciary and go free”, Wike remarked.
He recalled that Governor Peter Odili labored during his tenure to build three power plants.
Wike alleged that Amaechi sold off State assets built by Governor Odili to himself for the sum of $308 million only to refund the sum of $50 million to Sahara Energy which bought the said assets.
Amaechi, Tonye Cole involved in the sale of State power assets years ago. The Governor hinted that the refund of $50 million to Sahara Energy was based on the argument that government had borrowed money from the company.
It is still not clear who authorized the borrowing or why government chose to approach an energy company for a loan instead of a commercial bank.
Asking “who is Sahara?”, Wike said it was the face of the same company that Amaechi is fronting to be the next governor of the State.
Wike disclosed that his predecessor wasted scarce State funds on poorly conceived projects.
He added that his administration has accomplished so much in terms of the provision of infrastructure without leaving any debt behind.
Wike however hinted that a kilometer of concrete pillars built in the State capital as part of the monorail project gulped N54 billion from the purse of Rivers State.
The occasion featured traditional dances from Okrika and Woji as well as the cutting of the New year cake by the Governor and some eminent Rivers citizens.