We Met Empty Treasury, Rivers Gov Insists …Justifies N10bn Loan

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration left about N7billion in the state coffers.
Speaking shortly after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Messrs Julius Berger Plc and CCECC Nigeria Limited to rehabilitate roads in the state, yesterday at Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike defended government’s decision to take the N10billion loan from Zenith Bank.
The governor said: “the Accountant General is here, and we know that we didn’t meet any money in the treasury”.
He further stated that, “they said they left N7billion. May be, the money will be found in the handover notes because the Accountant-General told me the state FAAC account is in debit. But we have been hearing on radio that they kept N7billion, and I have not seen such an amount of money”.
Against this backdrop, the governor insisted that all permanent secretaries should submit their statements of accounts in order to ascertain whether any money was left unaccounted for by the last administration.
Explaining on why the state government applied for the loan, Wike said his administration was poised to complete all the important ongoing projects.
He further disclosed that the loan will be used to complete the following projects: the Law Faculty Building in the state University of Science and Technology, the renovation of the judiciary complex and the Rivers State House of Assembly buildings which are all derelict as a result of their closure for almost one full year by Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
The loan, he further revealed, will be used to complete the Akpajo/Woji Bypass, the Eagle Island link Road and the Rivers Mall started by Sir Celestine Omehia.
“There is no need frittering away resources by abandoning projects. Government is a continuum”, he emphasised.