Governor Says Patience Jonathan Wants Rivers State Money

monjola sotubo

October 25, 2014 6:50 PM

Amaechi also criticized the former Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who is a known ally of the first lady, calling him corrupt and incompetent

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has attributed his rift with First Lady, Patience Jonathan to his refusal to ‘share Rivers State money with her.’

Amaechi also criticized the former Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who is a known ally of the first lady, calling him corrupt and incompetent.

Wike is seeking to be elected governor of the state and supposedly has the backing of Mrs. Jonathan but Amaechi has called on the people of Rivers to resist their ambition.

The governor made his stance clear on Friday, October 24, during the joint graduation of students of University of Ibadan and Pioneer graduands of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education held at Rumuolumeni in Port Harcourt.

He said:

“Remember, when I became governor, I fought militancy. Right there where you built a new house, there used to be a hole where they pass into the river as escape route. The security report reached me and I came here and chased the militants away. I asked them to fence the school premises and block that hole.”

“I have to protect you because, it is my responsibility. Some of the militants went to Lagos, Ivory Coast, Ghana etc. But today they are back because the wife of the President brought them back to protest against me. I refused to give them money in Abuja because, if I do that, I won’t be able to carry out any development project or finish the road from Rumuolumeni to Rumuepirikom.”

Amaechi added that he fell out of Mrs. Jonathan’s good graces because “she said I should bring your money, Rivers people money and manage it with her which I refused”.

He also accused Wike of embezzlement and mocked his grammar citing an instance where the former Minister of State for Education said during a radio interview that he “shedded tears”.

Wike, who resigned his position in the president’s cabinet for the purpose of contesting in the 2015 governorship elections, had earlier stated that Amaechi bribed him with the ministerial appointment to reduce his influence.

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