The Interethnic Network for Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi demands apology from Governor Wike to Rivers people, to the Honourable Minister of Transportation and Fmr. Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and to the General Public for misinforming the public and for deliberately trying to tarnish the minister's image and put a question mark on his reputation by falsely and Maliciously Accusing him of having a link with the Osborne money saga and for laying false claim to the Said Money.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on the 12th of April stormed a residential building on the 7th floor of a four-bedroom apartment at Osborne Towers located at 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where a massive fund of foreign currencies and naira notes to the tune of $43.4m, £27,800 and N23.2m was uncovered.
In another attempt at fulfilling his avowed 'Bring him down' mission, Governor Wike hurriedly adopted the orphaned billions as a new found basis for his rampageous crusade against Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.
Recall, on the 14th of April 2017, during his impetuously arranged press briefing, Wike had threatened to rain fire on the President Buhari administration, promising the worst of all legal actions against the Federal government should the FG refuse to return the $43million to him within seven days,”. The Rivers Governor, Chief Wike, callously claimed that the money belonged to Rivers State and that it was stolen and secretly kept in the Ikoyi apartment by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past governor of Rivers State.
He went further to Accuse him of Owning the Apartment where the money was found and falsely linking him to the highly Reputable, hard-working and Successful entrepreneur and founder of Ebony TV, Mo Abudu.
However, in what looked like a providential spin for the Honourable Minister, the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, through her Director General, Ayo Oke, claimed the money belonged to the agency and that it was meant for some special covert operations around the nation. A full list of Owners of apartments in the building was also released; Amaechi's name was no where around the list. Meanwhile, the apartment in which the money was found was later discovered to belong to Mr Oke’s wife. As a result, and for the interest of the agency and for the urgent need to protect the integrity of NIA, the DG, Ayo Oke was suspended by the President.
Recall, on the 13th of April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, secured an interim order temporarily forfeiting the money, recovered from No. 16, Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Flat 7 B, to the Federal Government.
In subsequent proceedings, while urging the court to order the permanent forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government, the prosecution counsel Oyedepo argued that the property, which was purchased in a criminal manner, made the money recovered therein to be proceeds of unlawful acts."
Oyedepo further said that despite the newspaper advertisement of the initial order of April 13, 2017 temporarily forfeiting the money to the Federal Government, no one showed up in court to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government; not even Governor Wike of Rivers State.
On April 18, 2017, the Federal High Court ruled that the $48m (Forty Eight Million Dollars) recovered from the Osborne Towers, be forfeited to the Federal Government. The judge also said that anybody or organization who thinks the sum shouldn't be forfeited as ruled, should appear before him and state his case. This was another clear call that provided the opportunity for Wike to prove his case but expectedly, he didn't move an inch.
Following the persisting claims and counterclaims, the President went on to set up a three-man panel headed by the Vice President, with the Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Security Adviser as members, to investigate Mr. Ayo Oke and Lawal. The committee was given 14 days to complete its investigation and submit its report to the President. It was, however, unable to submit the report on schedule as the President travelled to London on May 7 for medical attention. Vice President Osinbajo who headed the committee that probed Ayo Oke and co, submitted the report to the President on August 23. And on the 30th of October, six months after the suspension of Oke, President Muhammadu Buhari, sacked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir David Lawal, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, ending the long suspense and speculations.
Having judiciously followed the matter to the point where the presidential hammer is finally raised on the former NIA boss, Ayo Oke, for the same money, INCRA considers the actions of Wike in relation to the Osborne saga as deliberate act of character assassination, slander, defamation, false testimony and Hate Speech, all of which are punishable under the law. It must be stated too that by this recklessness, Governor Wike has brought the highly exalted number one position of the state into disreputation; indeed, he has caused Rivers people so much shame. But while INCRA will not count on the Governor's voluntary display of integrity in taking the dignified step of resignation, we ask that he tenders a public apology for embarrassing the people of Rivers State and for maliciously attacking the reputation and personality of his former boss, His. Excellency Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi by sharing falsehood and misinforming the general public.
INCRA considers his countless inhuman deeds as evidences of ungodliness. We therefore advise him to seek true repentance from God, while referring him to the book of Mathew chapter 3 verse 8, "Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins."
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