“Wike using probe as distraction, to steal state funds” – Amaechi

Former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, has described the investigation on him, as a sham.

Amaechi, says his successor, Nyesom Wike, is using the probe as a distraction, while he steals billions from the state’s coffers.

In a statement released on Monday, by his media aide, Amaechi dared Wike to publish the statements of government accounts he met in office.

Amaechi 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 N939m 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.”

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