The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has spoken on the recent allegations made against him by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
In a statement by the minister’s spokesperson, David Iyofor, on Tuesday, Mr. Amaechi said the Peoples Democratic Party governor has no concrete evidence to prove his allegations.
“Wike has nothing, we mean absolutely nothing concrete to prove his fabricated claims. However, we are aware; that Wike has been forging and distorting a cache of documents in his increasingly frantic efforts to denigrate Amaechi. This forgery and contortion commenced immediately Wike assumed office as governor and it is on-going.”
Mr. Amaechi was reacting to claims by Mr. Wike while addressing the 106th Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt.
The Rivers State governor had alleged that findings from investigations into the previous administration has led to unwavering evidence against his predecessor.
The former governor himself admitted that he paid out $39 million to Clinotech, without a single block laid anywhere. Is that a document he claims was forged? Where is the Hospital?” said Mr Wike.
“He has agreed in different interviews that he sold the state gas turbines for $309 million. Convert $309 million to naira and you will understand the level of fraud. Amaechi left only $204,000 in the state account.
“The bank statements of the pattern of withdrawals from that account are there for all to see. Can that be forged? The dates and amounts withdrawn are clearly written,” the governor said.
But in his statement on Tuesday, Mr. Amaechi said the alleged evidence was nothing but mare talk.
“Nigerians are now used to Wike’s shameful charade whenever he says he has ‘evidence’ against Amaechi. How can we forget in a hurry when Wike outrageously claimed he had evidence to prove Amaechi’s ownership of the $43million Ikoyi money and luxury apartment?
In spite of all the noise Wike made, all his over the top political dramatization of Amaechi ownership of the Ikoyi money, Wike could not even go to court to claim the money with his so-called evidence. Wike has suddenly gone deaf and dumb on the Ikoyi money, many months after his 7-day ultimatum for the federal government to give him the money or face the mother of all legal actions.”
“We will continue to remind Rivers people that Wike’s antics are a clear attempt to distract and divert attention from his mindless plundering of the resources of the State and spate of Wike induced insecurity in Rivers State,” the statement alleged.
