Rivers State Governor has given the Federal Government an ultimatum of 7 days to return the $43million dollars found in a luxury apartment in Ikoyi to the Rivers State Government , failure which the State Government will take legal measures to ensure that it gets back her stolen resources
Governor Nyesom Wike also declared that the $43million dollars found in the luxury apartment in Ikoyi belongs to the Rivers State Government.
Governor Wike said that investigations by the Rivers State Government revealed that the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbines by the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
Addressing journalists at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday night, Governor Wike said: “The money in question belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. We want to confirm that the houses in Ikoyi also belong to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“If you recollect in 2015, we said that gas turbines built by Former Governor Peter Odili were sold to Sahara Energy, business partners of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi at $319million.
“That money was used to sponsor the All Progressives Congress for the 2015 general elections. From the date of sale of the gas turbines to May 29, 2015, the money depleted from $319million to $204,000 . What was stashed at the Ikoyi residence was part of that fund”.
He said : “We have facts to prove that the said money belongs to the Rivers State Government. The Federal Government must return our money”.
Governor Wike said all the stories being peddled about the money belonging to the National Intelligence Agency are false and mere face saving measures by the embattled APC Federal Government.
He said: “As I speak to you, the Federal Government is so embarrassed that this has happened. All the stories that the money belongs to the NIA are fake”.
Governor Wike challenged the Federal Government to set up a panel of Inquiry , which will sit publicly to investigate the money, if it doubted the claim of the Rivers State Government.
He stated that the Rivers State Government needs the money to complete an array of projects, insisting that on no account would this criminal activity be swept under the carpet.
The governor said as long as the Federal Government continues to disturb the progress of Rivers State, so long will God throw the Federal Government into confusion.
“We are giving them seven days to return our money. Otherwise, we would take legal action to recover our money. $43million will help us complete several projects. We need that money for projects”, he said.
Simeon Nwakaudu,
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.
14th April, 2017.
However, David Iyofor, media aide of Rotimi Amaechi, minster of transportation, squared off with Lere Olayinka, spokesman of Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, over the $50 million recovered by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in lkoyi, Lagos.
The anti-graft agency had released pictures of the money, saying it was uncovered in a fire proof safe at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi.
The identity of the owner was not revealed, leading to different reports.
Solomon Adeola, senator representing Lagos west; Adamu Mu’azu, former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); and Esther Nnamdi-Obue, ex-managing director of Petroleum Products Pricing and Marketing Company (PPMC), were all linked to the money, but they denied ownership of it.
But Olayinka claimed that the money had been traced to Amaechi, and Iyofor debunked the claim describing him as a “big liar”.
“Just hearing with one ear that Amaechi may have link to the House,” Olayinka wrote on Twitter, and Iyofor fired back: “Liar. You better hear well before your ear sends you to prison.”
Not deterred, Olyinka wrote: “Cover up game has started! Rotimi Amaechi owns the house.”
Iyofor’s responded: “Where is your proof? If you think you can link Amaechi to the house and money by tweeting this rubbish, then you need to have your head examined.
“Big Liar! Demonic Liar! Listen, you disgusting pig, Rotimi Amaechi is not connected or linked in anyway whatsoever to the house &/or money.”