From Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja
Former Rivers State commissioners and local government chairmen have refuted a statement by Governor Nyesom Wike that they paid between N2 million and N3 million monthly to Mrs Judith Amaechi when her husband, Chibuike Amaechi, held sway as governor.
The council chairmen and commissioners in a statement, co-signed on their behalf by Mr. Ojukaye Amachree, former chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area and Fred Mbombo-Igwe, former commissioner of Sports, said the claim that they paid money monthly to Mrs Amaechi was false.
Amaechi, now Minister of Transport, has tackled the governor over the allegation, threatening to expose Wike’s wife.
The chairmen and commissioners, who served in Amaechi’s administration, insisted that there was no time Mrs Amaechi demanded or was paid money by them, urging the public to disregard the allegation.
“We want to state that no council chairman, either individually or as a group of chairmen, or state commissioners, were told, coerced, intimidated or persuaded to pay any money to the wife of the former governor. And no money was given to her,” the former council chairmen and commissioner, said in the statement.
The former officials asked the governor to apologise to Mrs Amaechi reiterating that there was no truth in the allegation against the former first lady.