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How Amaechi’s Govt Planned To Convert State Assets To Personal Possession -Wike

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has blamed inordinate greed to convert Rivers State aircraft and other valuable assets to personal possession for the reason why the Chibuike Amaechi-led immediate past administration did not formally handover to him in 2015.
The governor, therefore, challenged those who served in the immediate past administration with contrary view to present documents that there was no plan to convert Rivers State assets to personal possession.
Wike stated this while briefing political stakeholders at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, on some of state assets, including the Legacy 600 jet recovered in Munich, Germany by his administration.
He recalled that recently, some Rivers indigenes went to a radio station in Port Harcourt to challenge the state government to give account of the gas turbine, helicopter, Legacy 600 jet and Dash 8 propeller aircraft purchased by the administration of former governor, Dr Peter Odili.
To allay their concern, Wike said he had to travel to Munich, Germany with some leaders of the state with the intent to recover the state-owned Legacy 600 abandoned there since 2012 by the Amaechi-led government.
He explained that the mere fact that the Amaechi-led administration refused to set up a transition committee for the purpose of proper handover to the incoming government in 2015 was a pointer that they desperately wanted to convert state assets and property for personal use.
Wike recalled that while Amaechi was governor, he had written a letter in July, 2011 to the state House of Assembly seeking approval to trade-in the abandoned aircraft in Germany in order to buy the Bombardier Global Express.
According to him, Amaechi bought the latter but never traded-in the Legacy 600 aircraft.
“The whole essence of why they took the plane to Germany, was because the former governor felt that he was going to install a governor in 2015. If Dakuku (Peterside) had become governor, that was the end of the plane. That was just the whole essence, because he felt Dakuku must be governor, and to the glory of God, he did not become…that is why the plane is coming back latest the end of March this year.”
He disclosed that though the state government had been able to discover, and was in the process of recovering the Legacy 600 from Germany, there was still no trace of the Dash 8 propeller aircraft purchased by the Odili administration.
According to him, the last time anyone heard of the Dash 8 plane was when Amaechi told the then State Executive Council that he won’t sell it to Chief Victor Odili, who had offered to purchase it at the cost of $5million.
“Chief Victor Odili offered to buy Dash 8 at $5million. In the Executive Council, the governor (Amaechi) said no, that he had a better offer and the better offer ($6million) is from Cross River State, when LiyelImoke was the governor of the state, and that he wanted to use it for the Obudu Ranch.
“Out of that $6million, Liyel had paid N100million as deposit. Up till now, where is the balance? Where is our Dash 8? If they sold it to Cross River State, where is the balance? Asset that ought to be documented and handed over to who is coming in”?
Wike explained that the Amaechi-led administration cared less about state asset that they failed to renew the contract between Rivers State Government House and Aero Contactors to manage the helicopter purchased by Odili’s government.
According to him, Aero Contractors used the helicopter for years without paying the state until his administration had to take possession of the asset during the COVID-19 lockdown.
He also accused his predecessor’s government of selling the state gas turbine without due process to their cronies and diverting the funds.
“The gas turbine was sold even without due process at the cost of $308million. This money was paid in December, 2014, when they were doing their APC national convention. I came into office on May 29, 2015, and what was left in the account was $208,000. From $308million to $208,000 within six months?
“The statement is there. How did $50million move back to Sahara (Energy). Sahara bought the gas turbine. $50million again left our account to Sahara.”
Wike said the state government had begun the prosecution of Saipem for fraud.
He stated that the Amaechi-led administration had awarded contract to the Italian company to build the AfamPower Station at the cost of $130million.
He said that despite being paid the $130million and additional N7billion, Saipem had failed to deliver the project.
The Rivers State governor, who took a swipe at Amaechi’s former Commissioner for Transport, George Tolofari for claiming that there exist documents that the Legacy 600 was flown to Germany, said such a person with questionable character should not comment on state matters.
“Under Dr Peter Odili’s administration, he (Tolofari) was given the job of building the Bonny-BilleJetty; he ate the entire money: N90million as at then. So, if I was vindictive, I would put him in prison.”
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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