BY Damilola Odunlami
Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past governor of Rivers state, has accused Nyesom Wike, his successor, of masterminding Goodluck Jonathan’s refusal to pay Rivers state a sum of N108 billion expended by the state on the rehabilitation of federal roads.
Amaechi also said that as at the time he came into office in 2007, government and business activities were at a “standstill” as a result of militancy and criminality. He said he embarked on measures to resolve the issues in order to revive the state.
Maintaining that he bowed out of office with his heads high, the governor addressed most of the allegations that the government of Nyesom Wike have leveled against him.
“On Monday, June 22, Mr. Nyesom Wike, briefed the media and made numerous allegations. These allegations are the same ones that Mr. Wike set up a commission of inquiry to investigate. However, in keeping with Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi’s commitment to good governance and to transparent and accountable stewardship to Rivers people, we will reiterate the facts,” Ibim Semenitari, who served Amaechi as commissioner of information, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi inherited a state that was comatose and in dire need of infrastructure. Years of militancy and criminality had forced government and business in Rivers State to a standstill. He therefore embarked on land reclamation in our riverine communities and the massive construction of roads, bridges and interchanges all over Rivers state.
“Realizing that there is a direct link between state of infrastructure and the growth rate of any economy, It is to the credit of the Amaechi administration that by the time he was leaving office, he had completed 90 per cent of the Phase 1A of the Rivers State Monorail, completed two major interchanges, two flyovers, 25 bridges, and five shore protection projects. He also completed 890 kilometres of the on-going 1,424 kilometres of road projects across the state. There are over six land reclamation/shore protection projects at Andoni, Opobo, Buguma, Abalama, Olumbie/Owukiri Island, and Oba-Ama-Okrika with over 1,140,000km completed.”
Amaechi accused Wike of collaborating with former president Goodluck Jonathan not to refund the money that was used in executing federal government projects in the state.
“Out of the roads completed, some of these were federal roads for which the Rivers state government was owed N108billion, Mr. Wike as minister of state for education was among those who prevented former president Goodluck Jonathan from paying the Rivers state government back these funds,” she said.
“It is on record that other states like Akwa Ibom and Abia received repayment for the federal roads they constructed. As at when Governor Amaechi was leaving office, the debts owed the contractors in the Ministry of Works, which were for ongoing road projects totaled N44, 942,354,44.10.”
Amaechi also reacted to the allegations on the N15 billion debt that his government owed Zenith bank; sale of power projects; salaries of civil servants; non-payment of refuse contractors; salaries of Dolphins, Shark and Rivers Angels football clubs and pension arrears.
Semenitari used the opportunity to respond the invasion of her Port Harcourt residence by officials of the state government.
She accused the governor of infringing on her right by taking possession of her vehicle with the use of force.
A task force from the Rivers state government house stormed her residence last week and impounded a Lexus four wheel drive vehicle, alleging that Semenitari was suppose to hand it over to the government on May 29.
Meanwhile, Wike has denied that the probe of his predecessor was meant to settle personal scores, insisting that the exercise was in the interest of the state.
“The essence of the judicial commission does not have to do with witch-haunting anybody,” he told reporters in Abuja on Tuesday.
“If he (Amaechi) had worked with the transition committee we set up, the committee would have asked one or two questions.”
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