‘We Didn’t Meet N10bn In RSG Account’

President Muhammadu Buhari (right), receiving Centenary City documents from Executive Director for Africa, Eagle Hills, Mr Jaimal Shergill, during a meeting of the Centenary City Board members with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, last Friday

The Rivers State Government has described as frivolous and baseless allegations by the immediate past Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi that he left N10 billion in the state coffers.
Governor Wike, who said this while, declaring, opened this year’s civil service day in Port Harcourt asked why the ex-governor did not use the money to settle some outstanding claims owed by the state.
The governor, who also decried the non-payment of overheads to ministries, departments and agencies since last October, said that the Commissioner for Finance has been directed to ensure that ministries, departments and agencies get their overheads as at when due.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State government has promised to give more opportunities to women to serve in the soon-to-be constituted State Executive Council.
The state governor, who said this during this year’s Civil Service Day in Port Harcourt, also described the theme of the celebration: “The Role of Public Service in Women Empowerment, Innovation and Accessible Service Delivery”, as apt and timely.
He said that it was in that light that more women were recently appointed as Permanent Secretaries.
Wike also said that, the present administration is out to reposition the service for efficient service delivery, and warned Civil Servants against partisanship, but strive for excellence and improved productivity.
The governor also urged the State Head of Service, Mr. Rufus Godwins  to ensure that the State Secretariat is given a facelift as civil servants must not be made to work in an unconclusive environment.
The Head of Service, Mr. Rufus Godwins commended the governor for paying outstanding arrears of salaries accumulated by the previous administration to civil servants.
Godwins also commended the governor for giving 42 per cent to women in the recent appointment of Permanent Secretaries, adding that Permanent Secretaries and other cadres of civil servants due retirement were being retired to create room for the employment of younger ones into the service.
Earlier, the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had challenged his successor in office, Governor Nyesom Wike to publish the statements of government accounts with Skye Bank, FAAC, Zenith Bank and Access Bank.
Amaechi added that he left about N7.5 billion cash as balance in the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as at May 29, 2015, alongside money in other accounts.
Amaechi, in a statement, Monday, by his media office said: “Our attention has been drawn to comments by Governor Wike, where he attempted to justify his sham probe of the immediate past governor of the state and distort our statement on the amount of money Amaechi left in the state treasury.
“However, what the public may not know is that Wike’s deceptive probe of Amaechi is a distraction to entertain and keep the public focus on his circus show, while he siphons and salt away billions of naira from the state treasury. From the moment he stepped into Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike has run a government of lies, deception and fraud.
“Wike claimed he met a completely empty treasury. That again is another big lie and grand deception to steal state funds. We have said that Amaechi left billions of naira and we even went ahead to mention the banks and give the names of the accounts the money were, as at May 29, 2015.
“We repeat that N7.5 billion cash was left behind as balance in the state Internally Generated Revenue account with Skye Bank, FAAC account with Zenith Bank, balance with Access Bank and funds in the State reserve fund account in First Bank.
“This is besides other balance in the state Government House account with Zenith Bank and other government ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs accounts, like the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP). Amaechi left N939million in the Commercial Agric Credit Scheme Account in Zenith Bank.
“By the time you pull all these together, we are looking at readily available cash in the region of N8 billion to N10 billion left for the Wike administration. We have mentioned banks, account names and funds left in the accounts. These are facts that cannot be distorted by Wike.
“If Wike says he’s not lying that he met an empty treasury, we challenge him to publish the statements of these government accounts that we have mentioned and other Rivers State Government ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs accounts as at May 29 to prove his claim and show the public that Amaechi left an empty treasury for him.”