Just a week after assumption of office as Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike announced that he has taken a whooping N10 billion loan. According to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, this loan is to “run the Government”, claiming that they did not meet any money in the Rivers State Government Accounts.

First and foremost, the talk of “empty treasury” is a poor attempt at malicious and criminal mischief to deceive the unsuspecting public and to malign the person of Rotimi Amaechi with the intent to misappropriate the remaining funds in those accounts. According to Achi William-Wobodo, a Senior Special Assistant to Rotimi Amaechi on Inter-Governmental Affairs, as at the close of Banking Operations on Thursday, 28th of May 2015, there were these funds in the following accounts:

1. N1.4billion + in the IGR Account, Zenith Bank;
2. N800million + in the FAAC Account, Zenith Bank;
3. N1.7billion + in the IGR Account, Skye Bank;
4. N700million + in Access Bank
5. N350million + in GTB
6. N480million + in First Bank
7. N1.5billion + in State Statutory Savings Account

From the above, the former Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi left in the Rivers State Government Accounts a cumulative amount of over N7billion, and so the question becomes: Can Chief Wike and his handlers list for the people of Rivers State people the projects which they now clam they intend to use the N10billion for? This will enable Rivers people ask questions.

It is important for questions to be asked because during a live radio programme, View Point, on Port Harcourt’s 93.7 Rhythm FM on 20th June 2015, Wike admitted that he found N1.8 billion in the Rivers State IGR Account.

Even after this admission, Wike made no apology and offered no explanation for the change in his position on the state’s finances. This brings to the fore the character and integrity of the man who now governs Rivers State.

Since assumption of office, Nyesom Wike set out with only one agenda: to disparage former Governor Amaechi. First it was looting of Government House. Now it is the story of empty coffers. However, under pressure from an interviewer, Wike hesitantly admitted to having N1.8 billion in one of the Accounts.

This still does not answer the question about what Governor Wike needs N10 billion for. According to Achi William-Wobodo: “Wike obviously needs the funds to compromise the tribunal in order to consolidate his electoral fraud and to refund the huge sums of money, in excess of N6billion which he and one of the Directors of NDDC misappropriated from the NDDC Accounts for the purpose of prosecuting the General Elections. The duo are currently very concerned that Mr. President is set to begin a probe into the management of the NDDC funds, hence the immense pressure to replace the funds”.

We may not only have a serial liar in the government house. We may also have a thief.

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