TheNewsGuru

Tag: Wike

  • Corruption: Ignore Wike’s rants, he has no evidence against me – Amaechi tells supporters

    Corruption: Ignore Wike’s rants, he has no evidence against me – Amaechi tells supporters

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has insisted that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has no evidence to prove his allegations of corruption against him.

    He maintained that he ran a transparent administration, devoid of spurious acts and practices, which his successor (Wike) has been attributing to him.

    Amaechi, a former chair of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), in a statement on Tuesday by his Media Office, declared that his former chief of staff and Director-General of Amaechi Re-election Campaign Organisation in 2011, was forging and concocting documents to defame, disparage and vilify him, in his desperate and failed bid to portray him as corrupt.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Governor Nyesom Wike, while addressing the Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt on Monday, claimed he had evidence of Amaechi’s corrupt acts as governor.

    Amaechi said: “Wike has nothing, we mean absolutely nothing concrete to prove his fabricated claims. However, we are aware, as a matter of fact, it is now public knowledge 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 ongoing.

    “Nigerians were shocked a few days back when Livingstone Wechie, the young man Wike used to accuse Amaechi of corruption and write false and frivolous petitions to the National Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) etc., confessed freely and openly, that all the documents he used to wrongfully portray Amaechi as corrupt when he governed Rivers State, were phony, forged documents given to him by Wike’s Rivers State Government House.”

    “It is ludicrous and appalling that Wike is still talking about his credibility-bereft Commission of Enquiry, when Livingstone Wechie also admitted that the forged documents were what were used as the template, the basis for the Justice Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Enquiry, an inquisition panel Wike set up early in his administration to witch-hunt, malign and persecute Amaechi.

    “Nigerians are now accustomed 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 $43 million Ikoyi money and luxury apartment? In spite of all the noise Wike made, all his over-the-top political dramatisation 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 seven-day ultimatum for the Federal Government to give him the money or face the mother of all legal actions.

    “How can anyone take a character like Wike seriously, especially when he says he has evidence against Amaechi? How can a governor talk so recklessly and irresponsibly?”

    The Transportation minister also stated that he will continue to remind Rivers people that his former aide’s (Wike’s) antics were a clear attempt to distract and divert attention from his mindless plundering of the resources of the state and spate of his (Wike’s) induced insecurity in Rivers.

    He said: “Wike must realise that every lie has an expiry date. Rivers people are tired and sick of Wike’s fake stories of ‘Amaechi this, Amaechi that’, every day.

    “Rather, the people (of Rivers State) want to know what happened to all the billions of naira Wike has collected from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), Paris Club refund, internally-generated revenue and the funds he borrowed.”

     

     

  • Amaechi must be probed, Wike insists

    Amaechi must be probed, Wike insists

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that there exists evidence of corruption against the immediate past administration of Chibuike Amaechi.

    Wike told Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt yesterday that Amaechi admitted paying $39 million for a non-existent Justice Karibi Whyte Mega Specialist Hospital and sold the state’s gas turbines.

    He alleged that the immediate past administration diverted the funds realised from the sales of gas turbines. “All the documents that proved Amaechi’s corrupt acts are authentic. We never forged documents. 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?

    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.

    Wike, who at the weekend announced the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of a major hotel in Port Harcourt where officials of All Progressives Congress (APC) had stormed to protest the flawed conduct of the party’s local council congress, warned that any hotel that opens its facility for electoral fraud and malpractices would lose its operational certificate of occupancy.

    “Any hotel that is used to rig elections, that hotel’s certificate of occupancy will be withdrawn. I will not allow that anymore,” he said. He, therefore, warned traditional rulers against working with armed gangs to cause insecurity in their communities.

  • We have overwhelming evidence of Amaechi’s corrupt acts as Rivers Governor – Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the evidence of corruption against the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is so overwhelming that the Minister of Transportation admitted to them publicly.

    Addressing the 106th Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt on Monday, Governor Wike said that Amaechi admitted paying $39million for a non-existent Justice Karibi Whyte Mega Specialist Hospital.

    He added that the Former Governor confessed publicly that he sold the State’s Gas Turbines, which the immediate past administration diverted the funds.

    Governor Wike said: “All the documents that proved Amaechi’s corrupt acts are authentic. We never forged documents. The former governor himself admitted that he paid out $39million to Clinotech, without a single block laid anywhere. Is that a document he claims was forged. Where is the Hospital?

    “He has agreed in different interviews that he sold the state gas turbines for $309million. Convert $309million United States dollars 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 berated the Minister of Transportation for engaging in the blackmail of the Supreme Court because his appeal is pending before the Apex Court over the establishment of the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

    “There is no time that he loses a case without blackmailing the Judiciary. He feels that the only way he can do it is to blackmail the Supreme Court. You cannot play politics with everything “.

    On the use of hotels for electoral fraud, the governor warned that any hotel that opens its facility for electoral fraud and malpractice will lose its operational certificate of occupancy.

    He said: “Any hotel that is used to rig elections, that hotel’s certificate of occupancy will be withdrawn. I will not all that anymore “.

    He regretted that the Former Rivers State Governor has continued to work against the interest of the State, refusing to use his position as a Minister to attract benefits to the people.

    Speaking further, he warned traditional rulers against working with armed gangs to cause insecurity in their communities.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Amayanabo of Opobo, King Dandeson Jaja commended the governor for the commencement of the reconstruction of 175 public schools across the state.

    He appealed to the governor to set up a process to check the sale of illicit drugs in the state.

  • Wike brags of influence on Supreme Court, says Amaechi

    Wike brags of influence on Supreme Court, says Amaechi

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has accused his successor Nyesom Wike of boasting that he has influence on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, and the judiciary.

    He stated that Wike continued to forge more documents against him.

    Amaechi yesterday in an online statement by his media office said Wike wanted to use the forged documents to persecute and prosecute him in court.

    Wike is Amaechi’s former Chief of Staff and the director-general of his re-election campaign organisation in 2011.

    The minister said: “In the past couple of days, Wike has been telling anyone who cares to listen, bragging that he will certainly get a conviction, a judgment against Amaechi in the law courts on spurious charges of corruption, using his forged documents because he (Wike) is in control of the judiciary at the state and national levels.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that Wike has been boasting that he has the judges in the Rivers State judiciary in his pocket, that he is in full control and that the Rivers State judiciary would always give him any judgment he wants against Amaechi.

    “Furthermore, Wike is bragging that the CJN is his ‘main man’ that would readily and easily assist him get any judgment he wants against Amaechi at the apex court, using his contorted documents.

    “Wike is also telling anyone who cares to listen that the Supreme Court (Justices) and judges generally are not happy with Amaechi and so they would easily convict him with any forged document he presents in court. Power-drunk Wike is using the recent visit of the CJN to Rivers State as his bragging right to prove his ‘extreme’ closeness to the CJN.

    “Nigerians would recall that only a few days back, Livingstone Wechie, the young man Wike used to accuse Amaechi of corruption and write false and frivolous petitions to the National Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) etc., confessed in a live television programme and in a statement he also circulated to the media, that all the documents he used to wrongfully portray Amaechi as corrupt when he governed Rivers State, were phonies, forged documents given to him by Wike’s Rivers State Government House.

    “Wechie also admitted, like we have always said, that the forged documents were used as the template and basis for the Justice Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry, a panel Wike set up early in his administration to witch-hunt, malign, vilify and persecute Amaechi.”

    Replying the transport minister, governor Wike in a statement by his media aide, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a reckless statement credited to Amaechi to the effect that Governor Wike is forging documents to secure his conviction in a court of law.

    This allegation is unfounded, baseless and a figment of the imagination of the former governor. “Amaechi also went ahead to falsely allege that Wike bragged that he has the judiciary in the state and at the federal level in his pocket to secure his conviction on charges of corruption.

    This is another false allegation, merely concocted by the former governor to distract attention from the crimes he committed against Rivers people, by diverting their resources. “We are not surprised by Amaechi’s antics to blackmail the judiciary. Ever since the Supreme Court victory that validated the election of Wike, Amaechi has never failed to malign the judiciary. Governor Wike is a law abiding citizen, who believes in the rule of law. That is why he has followed due process in tackling the issue of high level corruption against the Minister of Transportation. “We have very credible documents to prove the mass corrupt acts of the former governor against the good people of Rivers State. We also saw a reckless post by Amaechi’s associate, Mr Igo Aguma trying to denigrate the judiciary.

    This is most unfortunate. “Amaechi’s sponsorship of Wechie will not change the facts that are known to all Nigerians. All documents tendered at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the Sale of Valued Assets of the State by the Amaechi administration are genuine.” Same pattern, the same blatant distorted and forged documents, same old concocted stories of corruption allegations against Amaechi told with different twists. “Nigerians will not forget in a hurry how Wike, hurriedly called a suspicious late night press conference to lie that the over $43million found by EFCC in a luxury apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos and the apartment belongs to Amaechi.”

  • Nigeria is now terribly divided by APC’s bad governance – Wike

    RIVERS State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, said on Tuesday that the bad governance of the All Progressives Congress had left Nigeria terribly divided.

    Wike, who stated that the country needed people who would promote peace through quality leadership, added that Nigeria was currently bedevilled by myriad of problems.

    The governor spoke during the commencement of the reconstruction/rehabilitation of Abuloma, Fimie, Ozuboko and Amadi-Ama community roads in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Wike said that Nigerians were deceived into voting for the APC, pointing out that in 2019, no Nigerian would be deceived by the empty promises of the party.

    “Nigeria is divided because of the APC leadership style. Wherever you go today in this country, there is one problem or the other. Is that how Nigerians want it? Certainly not! We need people who will promote peace through quality leadership.

    “The change they said they are bringing is fake change. No person resident in Rivers State and sees what we are suffering from the APC Federal Government will ever support the APC,” he added.

    The governor, who assured the people of the state that his administration would continue to deliver projects that would improve their living conditions, maintained that the reconstruction cum rehabilitation of Abuloma, Fimie, Ozuboko and Amadi-Ama community roads would be completed in six months.

    Wike said the poor nature of the community roads in the heart of Port Harcourt had brought to the fore the failure of the immediate past administration.

    The governor urged the contractor handling the road reconstruction projects to carry the people of the host communities along, through sub-contracts and employment opportunities.

    On the flooding of many parts of the state, the governor said his administration would take steps to stop recurrence.

    He appealed to residents to desist from building houses on waterways, noting that resolving the flood challenge would require everyone to work in unison.

    The representative of the CCECC, Mr. Robinson Ndiokho, assured the governor that the company would construct the roads in line with the approved specifications.

    But reacting to the governor’s claim, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chris Finebone, said Wike was still basking in the euphoria of the recent Supreme Court judgement that came his way.

    He explained that at the right time, very few of the likes of Wike and other PDP leaders would have the presence of mind to speak to Nigerians and at the same time answer the mountain of corruption cases in various courts.

    Finebone said, “The APC will list over 60 PDP leaders with their long list of alleged plundering of the nation’s resources that happened over the years, especially during the Jonathan presidency. Nigerians and the world will see these people for who they are.

    “The present bravado you see in Wike and other PDP leaders will pale into insignificance as 2019 approaches. Their sins will seal their lips before Nigerians. They will be free, but unable to campaign. The wrong they have done will go after them.”

  • Wike lambasts labour, says ‘you pulled down heaven during Jonathan’s tenure but keep quiet under Buhari’

    Wike lambasts labour, says ‘you pulled down heaven during Jonathan’s tenure but keep quiet under Buhari’

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Friday accused leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) of keeping quiet under the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government despite several unfavourable policies but ‘almost pulled down the heavens for any slight action of former President Goodluck Jonathan’

    Wike further accused the labour leaders of gradually turning into politicians at the expense of the masses who they are suppose to stand and fight for.

    Wike spoke at the Government House in Port Harcourt when he received NLC president, Ayuba Wabba.

    He said: “Nigerians are not happy with the NLC. With due respect, you people are now politicians. You are no longer as strong as you used to be.

    “I remember when Jonathan was President; you wanted to pull heaven down just for the slight removal of petroleum subsidy.

    “Now they have removed everything and nothing has happened”, Wike noted, lamenting that it has gotten to a point the NLC calls for strike and workers don’t obey.

    “You have allowed politicians to penetrate your ranks and you now have two factions. Factionalization is not the best. I urge you to work for the union to be strong as this is in the interest of the nation.

    “Look at what is happening in the country today. Nobody wants to go to jail. If you talk, EFCC will come after you. If you don’t want EFCC to trouble you, defect to the other party.

    “There was this ED Finance of the NDDC, who was a member of the PDP. EFCC was after him, when he defected to the other party, they dropped the charges.”

     

  • [Video] Fayose, Wike, Ekweremadu, others celebrate as S/Court affirms Makarfi as PDP chair

    Some of the chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, especially those who are loyal to Senator Ahmed Makarfi are presently jubilating over the Wednesday Supreme Court ‎ruling which affirmed the former Kaduna state governor as the authentic chairman of the party.

    Notable among the PDP big wigs who have reacted to the apex court’s verdict were governors of Ekiti and Rivers states, Ayodele Fayose and Nyesom Wike,‎ a former Vice-Chairman of the party (South West), Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Prof. Jerry Gana; a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Emeka Ihedioha among others.

    We must move ahead reposition PDP ahead of 2019 – Wike

    “Today’s ruling brings back PDP as a strong opposition to challenge All Progressives Congress, APC which has not been performing to the need of Nigerians, and for those of us who have lost, all I can say is we must move ahead to reposition APC, I am thanking God that we are today vindicated.”

    Attempt to silence opposition has come to an end today – Fayose

    “This verdict represents justice, it represents hope and future for Nigeria, and the attempt to silence opposition has come to an end today By the grace of God, PDP is set for victory in 2019” says Gov. Fayose

    PDP CRISIS-Wike ,Fayose. Celebrates Makarfi’s victory #TheNewsGuru #TNG

    A post shared by Media/News Company (@thenewsgurung) on


    Collective victory for our party and the nation’s democracy –Ekweremadu

    Ekweremadu said it was a no victor and no vanquished situation for individual party members, but rather a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.

    He said, “I am happy that the Supreme Court has brought this protracted leadership tussle to an end today. There is no victor and there is no vanquished, but a collective victory for our party and the nation’s democracy. No democracy can prosper in the absence of a virile opposition or under the extreme hardship Nigerians have faced over the past two years. Citizens deserve a viable alternative.

    “The ruling party has indeed profited from the prolonged power contest, not just in terms of defections, but also in the unchallenged degeneration of democratic values, rule of law, electoral practice, and the economy because the PDP has been too distracted to keep them on their toes.

    Our party leaders should initiate peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process – Ihedioha

    “Importantly, I call on our party leaders and elders to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process to reunite everybody under the big umbrella and reinvigorate the biggest party in Africa to bounce back to the rescue of the suffering masses of Nigeria come 2019.”

    “This is a victory for & triumph of Democracy. It is a celebration of the enthronement of light over forces of Darkness. Long live Nigeria.” – Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.

    PDP crisis: No victor, no vanquished, our nightmare over – Ben Bruce

    “We are happy this nightmare is over. There is no victor no vanquished. This is also, not a time to gloat. I call on all sides to stretch out a hand of brotherhood to rebuild our great party. Peace is better than war and unity, better than division.

    This judgment is indeed a victory for democracy and together, the PDP can return to being a formidable alternative to the ruling government,” – Senator Ben Murray-Bruce

     

     

  • Photos: Wike attends South-South, South-East Governors meeting

    Photos: Wike attends South-South, South-East Governors meeting

    Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State on Sunday attended the South-South and South-East Meeting held in Enugu State.

    See pictures from the meeting below:

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, being welcomed by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, being welcomed by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

     

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Ebonyi State Governor, Engr Dave Umahi and Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, (m) Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Deputy Senate President Ike (r) at the Government House in Enugu for the South-South and South-East Meeting on Sunday evening

  • Attempted Murder: Wike directs Attorney General to prosecute former Rivers Majority Leader

    Attempted Murder: Wike directs Attorney General to prosecute former Rivers Majority Leader

    ▪Swears in 13 Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairmen

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has directed the re-appointed Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Emmanuel Aguma (SAN) to ensure the conclusive prosecution of Former Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Chidi Lloyd over the attempted murder of a member of the State Assembly, Mr Michael Chinda.

    Governor Wike also directed the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to ensure the conclusive prosecution of Mr Ojukaye Flag Amachree who is standing trial for the murder of a citizen of Asari Toru Local Government Area during one of the rerun elections.

    According to him, anybody who commits crime in the state must face the full weight of the law.

    Governor Wike spoke on Saturday after swearing-in the reappointed State Attorney General and Commissioner and 13 Caretaker Committee Chairman of Local Government Areas.

    He said: “The Attempted Murder of a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly must be conclusively prosecuted by the office of the Attorney General.

    “Also, the person involved in the murder of a citizen of Asari Toru Local Government Area during the rerun elections must be conclusively prosecuted. Nobody is above the law.

    “I don’t know how the person who was almost killed on the floor of the Rivers House of Assembly will feel seeing his assailant moving around freely? How will the family of the murdered Asari Toru Local Government Area citizen feel knowing that the alleged murder suspect is roaming freely without conclusive prosecution “.

    The governor charged the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to ensure that all the victims get justice in accordance with the tenets of the law.

    He advised the Attorney General to sustain the enthronement of the rule of law to avoid a situation where people resort to self help on account that the state cannot prosecute criminal offenders.

    On the newly sworn-in Chairmen of Caretaker Committees of Local Government Areas , Governor Wike advised them to concentrate on the maintenance of security and environmental sanitation.

    He advised the Local Government Chairmen to work with security agencies to address security challenges in their respective local government areas.

    He warned them against the mismanagement of council funds for personal benefits or to influence top government officials or their families.

  • INEC’s failure to conduct credible elections, biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity

    INEC’s failure to conduct credible elections, biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that the most dangerous threat to Nigeria’s unity is the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

    Speaking in the United States, US, over the weekend, the governor also claimed that the repeated use of security agencies to rig elections will endanger the unity of the country more than the agitations of different ethnic groups

    According to Wike, “The most dangerous threat to the unity of the country is not the agitations by different ethnic groups, but the inability of INEC to conduct free and fair elections.

    “Unless security agencies agree for free and fair elections to hold, the unity of the country may come under severe threat. ”

    He, however, declared that Rivers people believe in the unity of the country.
    Wike further urged people of the state to shun politics of hatred, bigotry and acrimony, bloodletting, blackmail and falsehood.

    “As 2019 approaches, we must eschew politics of hatred, bigotry and acrimony, bloodletting, blackmail and falsehood and allow our genuine leaders to take us in the direction that best serves our collective interest.

    ”Most importantly, we must resist every attempt by any Judas among us to truncate our ascendancy and make us play second fiddle in the evolving politics of the State and the nation because of their selfish interest,” he added.