Gives FG 7 days to return funds allegedly diverted by Amaechi

From Chris Anucha, Port Harcourt

A new twist was added to the controversy trailing the true ownership of over $43million recovered from a Lagos home on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC as the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, on Friday issued the Federal Government  a 7-day ultimatum to return  the funds to the Rivers State Government. He threatened that failure to return the money would leave the state government with no other option than to take legal measures to ensure it gets back her stolen  resources.

Governor Wike  also declared categorically that the $43million found in the luxury apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos belongs  to  the  Rivers State Government.

He said that investigations by the state government  revealed  that the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbines by the immediate past governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, who is now the Minister of Transportation.

Addressing journalists at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday night, the Governor said: “The money in question  belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.  We want to confirm that the houses in Ikoyi also belong to Chibuike Amaechi.

“If you recollect in 2015, we said that gas turbines built by former governor Peter Odili were sold to Sahara Energy, business partners of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi at $319million.

“That money was used to sponsor the All Progressives Congress for the 2015 general elections.  From the date of sale of the gas turbines to  May 29, 2015, the money depleted from $319million to $204,000 . What was stashed at the Ikoyi residence  was part of that fund”.

He said : “We have  facts to prove that the said money belongs to the Rivers State Government.  The Federal Government must return our money”.

Governor Wike  said all the stories  being peddled about the money belonging to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are false and mere face-saving measures by the embattled APC-led Federal Government.

He said: “As I speak to  you, the Federal Government  is so embarrassed that this has happened.  All the stories  that the money belongs to the NIA are fake”.

The governor  challenged the Federal Government to  set up  a panel of inquiry, which will sit publicly to investigate  the money, if it doubted the claim of the state government.

He stated that the Rivers State Government  needs the money to complete its array  of projects, insisting that on no account would this scandal be swept  under the carpet.

The Governor said as long as the Federal Government continues to disturb the progress of Rivers State, so long will God throw the Federal Government into confusion.

“We are giving them seven days to return  our money. Otherwise, we would take legal action  to recover our money. Forty three million  dollars will help us complete  several  projects.  We need that money for projects”, he said.

The allegation by Governor Wike is coming on the heels of claims in official circles that the NIA owns the controversial fund warehoused for discreet operations. Meanwhile, the man in the eyes of the storm, Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi has distanced himself from the funds. His media aide, Mr. David Iyofor, in a tweet, said the allegation is fake news. “Show us the title documents with Amaechi’s name as the owner or shut up. When normal peeps talk, this one also wants to talk.”

“Someone will just sniff something then comes on Twitter to rant incomprehensible nonsense. Some fellows really need help, serious help.” He went further to say that, “Lying out rightly to defame someone is not politics but pure madness. I just hope someone has not stopped taking his meds”, he tweeted in response to an earlier allegation by a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode that the money and apartment belong to Amaechi.

Recall that the EFCC, on Wednesday, discovered the sums of $43million, £27,800 pounds and N23 million from an apartment in the Ikoyi area of Lagos. Although a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums to the Federal Government.