Rivers State Commission of Inquiry on the Sale of
Valued Assets set up by Governor Nyesom Wike, yesterday, submitted
its report, claiming that N53 billion belonging to the state was
allegedly diverted by the previous administration.
In a swift reaction, however, the media office of former Governor
Rotimi Amaechi, said the purported “missing” N53 billion, was
unfortunate and left much to be desired, describing the report as a last
ditch trump card “in the hope that it will diminish the former
governor’s towering stature as a statesman and honest Nigerian.”
Head of the commission of inquiry, Justice George Omereji, while
submitting the report, said the commission received 27 memos and 142
exhibits, while 25 witnesses testified before it.
He called on the state government to act fast on the report,
saying: “We hope that the government should act fast and by the time
the government looks into this report and acts fast, it will be able to
recover billions that are still stashed where they kept them. That money
belongs to Rivers people and I hope that the government should act fast
and recover the funds so that we can use it for the people of Rivers
State.”
Receiving the report, Governor Wike assured that the report would
be implemented and that it would not be like other reports of
commissions that were not acted upon by previous administrations.
He said:
“This will not be like other report. We will make sure that we swing
into action immediately to see that the recommendations made by the
commission are implemented. We will not be intimidated by anybody or
group of persons. Many things have been done to discredit the
commission. But for me, it is when your hands are not clean that you
begin to use the media to discredit people’s work.”
Speaking with newsmen after the submission, Justice Omereji claimed
that N53 billion belonging to the state was allegedly diverted by the
previous administration.
He said among other things, the commission recommended that those
behind the alleged missing funds should be made to refund them.
He said: “On the billions of naira said to have been stashed away in
some places, there was the sum of N55 billion in the State Reserve Fund.
Between 2014 and May 2015, they were able to remove N53 billion and we
found out that the N53 billion was not used for the projects in the
state.
“The money went to individuals. From the papers submitted to us, we
also found out that the money was given to people they like. We went to
the site of the Justice Karibi Whyte Hospital, we did not see anything
at all.”
Amaechi Reacts
A statement from Amaechi’s Media Office, read in part: “The mischief
is all the more evident as the funds referred to are funds from the
Rivers State reserve fund which was duly approved by the Rivers State
House of Assembly and whose expenditure were duly captured and accounted
for. Ordinarily, we might not have responded to the mischief of Mr.
Wike knowing that having failed with his various desperate tactics to
stop Amaechi’s nomination as a minister, he has embarked on this last
ditch effort which is his trump card in the hope that it will diminish
the former governor’s towering stature as a statesman and an honest
Nigerian.
“However, in keeping with Governor Amaechi’s ethos of transparent and
accountable leadership, we will again repeat the facts of the matter.
Between 2013 and early 2015, revenue accruing to the government of
Rivers State was cut in half due to dwindling federal allocation to
states. From about an average of N20 billion, the state began to receive
between N9 billion and N10 billion. By the middle of the first quarter
of 2015 the state revenue dipped to as low as N6 billion. Salaries alone
stood at over N9 billion besides other expenses. Government has set
aside a reserve fund as a rainy day fund and had need to fall back to it
to fund salaries and projects. The details of the expenditure were
clearly captured and this information which was already in the public
domain was shared with the incoming administration and the Omereji
panel.”
The statement added that “government business should be transparent
and honest and if indeed Mr. Nyesom Wike understands the basics of
governance, then he should know that rather than playing to the gallery
with his red herring of a panel, he should simply go to court and prove
his spurious allegations of corruption. He should go to court if he is
sure there is corruption. Spending resources left behind for the
betterment of Rivers people by a prudent and thrifty government on
frivolities is indeed irresponsible and unbecoming for a person who
aspires to public office, especially that of the exalted office of
governor.”
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