The political tussle in Rivers state has taken another dimension with the immediate past Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has daring his successor, Nyesom Wike, to take him to court if he possess any evidence of graft against him.
Recall that Wike had made several corruption allegations against the former governor who is rumoured to be on the highly awaited ministerial list of ‘President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amaechi is among the 22 members on Nigeria’s delegation to the 70th United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.
“Let him (Wike) prove it in court. Tell him I said he should go to court. I have a wonderful reputation and I challenge Wike; he will not destroy that reputation. I won’t let him destroy it. He doesn’t have that kind of reputation; he will never have that kind of reputation,” he told Nation.
He added further; “It is not enough for a panel to indict a man. If Eze Wike wants to fight me, let him go to court. He keeps saying I’m a thief; but let him show me one property. …He knows I know. So, if he has evidence, why hasn’t he put it out to the public? My children are proud of me. They say I’m one of the most honest Nigerians they know.”
Amaechi said he had no house in Port Harcourt because he could not afford to build one.
“When I say I don’t have a house in Port Harcourt, Wike would say it’s an irresponsible man that doesn’t have a house in his own village.
“He won’t ask: ‘Do you have money to build a house?’ I thought he would have attacked me that I have money. I just didn’t build a house. He won’t ask me how much my salary was as (House of Assembly’s) Speaker.”
Amaechi also took a swipe at former president Goodluck Jonathan stressing that President Muhammadu Buhari had got more support than former President Godluck Jonathan ever did.
“The level of corruption in that era was so bad that we couldn’t pay salaries. As the governor of Rivers State, my allocation was reduced from N25 billion to about N6 billion. But the Buhari administration is here to save Nigeria.
“At the General Assembly, we had a lot of respect. We chose who to see and who not to see. Before, no one wanted to see us.”
He added that despite Nigeria missing a key meeting about Boko Haram and the President almost missing the Pope, “This is one of the best. Although this is my first time as a delegate to the UN, I have gone to other parts of the world with the former president. The way president Buhari is being treated is not the same way President Goodluck was treated. Huge respect for a man of honor and integrity, as against our former president. So you can’t compare, you can’t. I’m leaving here very proud to be a Nigerian.”
Recall that PDP in Rivers state has replied to the Rotimi Amaechi, former state governor, suit against the party. Amaechi had sued the PDP, its chairman and two others over claims that he (Amaechi) misappropriated $758m (N80bn) belonging to the state while in office.
Recall that Wike had made several corruption allegations against the former governor who is rumoured to be on the highly awaited ministerial list of ‘President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amaechi is among the 22 members on Nigeria’s delegation to the 70th United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.
“Let him (Wike) prove it in court. Tell him I said he should go to court. I have a wonderful reputation and I challenge Wike; he will not destroy that reputation. I won’t let him destroy it. He doesn’t have that kind of reputation; he will never have that kind of reputation,” he told Nation.
He added further; “It is not enough for a panel to indict a man. If Eze Wike wants to fight me, let him go to court. He keeps saying I’m a thief; but let him show me one property. …He knows I know. So, if he has evidence, why hasn’t he put it out to the public? My children are proud of me. They say I’m one of the most honest Nigerians they know.”
Amaechi said he had no house in Port Harcourt because he could not afford to build one.
“When I say I don’t have a house in Port Harcourt, Wike would say it’s an irresponsible man that doesn’t have a house in his own village.
“He won’t ask: ‘Do you have money to build a house?’ I thought he would have attacked me that I have money. I just didn’t build a house. He won’t ask me how much my salary was as (House of Assembly’s) Speaker.”
Amaechi also took a swipe at former president Goodluck Jonathan stressing that President Muhammadu Buhari had got more support than former President Godluck Jonathan ever did.
“The level of corruption in that era was so bad that we couldn’t pay salaries. As the governor of Rivers State, my allocation was reduced from N25 billion to about N6 billion. But the Buhari administration is here to save Nigeria.
“At the General Assembly, we had a lot of respect. We chose who to see and who not to see. Before, no one wanted to see us.”
He added that despite Nigeria missing a key meeting about Boko Haram and the President almost missing the Pope, “This is one of the best. Although this is my first time as a delegate to the UN, I have gone to other parts of the world with the former president. The way president Buhari is being treated is not the same way President Goodluck was treated. Huge respect for a man of honor and integrity, as against our former president. So you can’t compare, you can’t. I’m leaving here very proud to be a Nigerian.”
Recall that PDP in Rivers state has replied to the Rotimi Amaechi, former state governor, suit against the party. Amaechi had sued the PDP, its chairman and two others over claims that he (Amaechi) misappropriated $758m (N80bn) belonging to the state while in office.
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