No Amnesty For Corrupt Public Officials In Rivers -Tam-George

The Rivers State Commissioner for information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, has stated that there will be no amnesty for corrupt public officials in Rivers State.
Tam-George stated this while speaking as a special guest on ‘View Point’, a current affairs programme of Rhythm 93.7 FM in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The commissioner disclosed that the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration in the state will remain committed to its moral obligation of keeping watch over the management of the commonwealth of Rivers State, and pointed out that all public officials who violated the public trust, through the misuse of public funds would be held responsible.
The commissioner, who described accountability as a critical component of governance, said it was necessary to unravel the questionable expenditure profile of the previous administration, noting that, “It would be a gross injustice to Rivers people, if we don’t find out what happened to over N3trillion expended by the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration. This is the only state where there was no handover of even a scrap of paper. Glossing over such impropriety will hunt us in the future”.
In x-raying the activities of the previous administration, the commissioner said government was not embarking on a witch-hunt but adhering to the principles of justice.
He said a judicial panel of inquiry was set up by the Wike administration, which was endorsed by the court, adding that the recommendations of the panel clearly indict the Amaechi administration.
Commenting on the Supreme Court ruling that upheld the election of Chief Nyesom Wike as the duly elected governor of Rivers State, the commissioner said the judgment was a justification that sovereignty belongs to the people.
He said the massive jubilation in the streets of Port Harcourt and across communities in the state over the Supreme Court verdict was a strong indication that Rivers people were happy over the restoration of their mandate.
Tam-George further hinted that the Wike administration was all-inclusive, and ready to accommodate and integrate the opposition into its development plan.
He pointed out that within few months in the saddle; Wike had proven to be a pragmatic leader by embarking on massive infrastructural development projects, especially in road construction.
He explained that the present administration has a firmer grasps of the dynamics of governance, adding that the government will diversify its development drive by building capacity in all sectors of the economy.
The commissioner, who described participation in governance as “a fundamental right of the people”, however, distinguished delivering governance from being in government.
“You don’t need to be in office to be part of this administration; the Wike government is ready to accommodate good ideas from everybody, irrespective of party affiliation to move the state forward. No matter how brilliant a monologue is, it can’t be better than a dialogue”, he said.

Taneh Beemene