We Won’t Recover Rivers Stolen $50m If Tonye Cole Is Elected Governor – Wike
Afimag.com –
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has warned that the Rivers State Government will not recover the $50M diverted from the State’s account to Sahara Energy owned by the All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, if the electorate mistakenly elect him as governor.
He maintained that the primary reason why the former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, under whose watch the $50M was diverted to Sahara Energy, desperately wants Tonye Cole to become governor, is to cover up their atrocious looting of State assets.
Governor Wike issued the warning during All Rivers Youths Forum for Sim rally held at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt on March 16, 2023.
The Rivers State governor told the teeming youths that as part of effort to recover the looted funds, the State government has commenced the prosecution of Amaechi, Tonye Cole and former Commissioner of Power, Augustine Wokocha in court.
He added that Amaechi had in 2014 surreptitiously sold Rivers State government assets, including the gas turbine power stations built by the Dr Peter Odili’s administration to Tonye Cole’s company, Sahara Energy at the sum of $308 million.
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The money, he said was paid in December 2014, but by the time he assumed office on 29th May, 2015, what was left in the account of the State government in Access Bank was $308,000. Until date, he said Amaechi has been unable to account the balance of $307,692,000.00 being proceeds from the sales of the turbines.
Curiously too, under Amaechi’s watch, he said the sum of $50 million was transferred from Rivers State government in Access Bank to Sahara Energy. It is for these reasons that Amaechi is being prosecuted with Tonye Cole.
“Today, we are prosecuting Tonye Cole, Amaechi and Augustine Wokocha, the former Commissioner of Power. The only way you can stop that prosecution, the only you don’t want that money to come back to the State coffers is electing Tonye Cole. If you elect him, the matter will die natural death.”
He said it is rather ironical that Amaechi, who also sold Rivers State owned Olympia Hotel to Tonye Cole and squandered over N50B on the abandoned one kilometre monorail, is shamelessly soliciting for votes for the same Tonye Cole.
Governor Wike assured the youths that he personally ensure that they benefit immensely from the recruitment of ten thousand Rivers indigenes into the State civil service. To this end, he has directed the leadership of the National Youth Council chapter in the State to submit a comprehensive list of Rivers youths who desire to work in the civil service.
The governor, who enumerated several projects executed in all the twenty three local government areas of the State, charged the youth to vote massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for the continuation and consolidation of the developmental stride of his administration.
Governor Wike announced the donation of the sum of N500M to the National Youth Council of Nigeria for the building of its secretariate in Rivers State.
The convener of the rally, Chief Tony Okocha, said the youths are impressed with governor Wike sterling performance in office, and will on Saturday vote overwhelmingly for all PDP candidates in the election.
On his part, the chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria ,Rivers State chapter, Chijioke Ihunwo, also assured the governor that Rivers youths have resolved to vote for Sir Fubara and all other PDP candidates.
He declared that no Rivers youth will waste his or her vote on any ex-militant or stranger contesting for the office of the governor of Rivers State.