- Gives FG 7-days ultimatum to return the funds to Rivers state govt
AS controversy still trails the ownership of the N13bn in various denominations recovered from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state yesterday claimed that the money belongs to the State government even as he provided no evidence to back up his claim.
The governor has therefore given the Federal Government a 7-day ultimatum to return the money to the Rivers State Government, failure which the State Government will take legal action to ensure that it gets back her stolen resources.
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. The former governor has however denied having anything to do with the money.
Addressing newsmen 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”.
According to him, “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 then 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.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/recovered-n13bn-belongs-us-gov-wike/
