From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

 

Governor Nyesom Wike has warned that the Rivers State government would be unable to recover the $50 million diverted from the State’s account to Sahara Energy owned by the All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, if the electorate mistakenly elect him as governor.

He maintained that the primary reason the former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, under whose watch the $50 million was diverted to Sahara Energy, desperately wants Tonye Cole to become governor, is to cover up their atrocious looting of State assets.

Governor Wike issued the warning during All Rivers Youths Forum for Sim rally held at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The Rivers State governor told the teeming youths that as part of effort to recover the looted funds, the State government has commenced the prosecution of Amaechi, Cole and former Commissioner of Power, Augustine Wokocha, in court.

Governor Wike told the youths that Amaechi had in 2014 surreptitiously sold Rivers State government assets, including the gas turbine power stations built by the Dr Peter Odili’s administration to Tonye Cole’s company, Sahara Energy at the sum of $308 million.

The money, he said, was paid in December, 2014, but by the time he assumed office on May 29, 2015, what was left in the account of the State government in Access Bank was $308,000. Until date, he said Amaechi had been unable to account the balance of $307,692,000.00 being proceeds from the sales of the turbines.

Curiously too, under Amaechi’s watch, he said the sum of $50 million was transferred from Rivers State government in Access Bank to Sahara Energy.

According to Wike, It is for these reasons that Amaechi is being prosecuted with Cole.

He said: “Today, we are prosecuting Tonye Cole, Amaechi and Augustine Wokocha, the former Commissioner of Power. The only way you can stop that prosecution, the only way you don’t want that money to come back to the State coffers is electing Tonye Cole. If you elect him, the matter will die natural death.”

He said it is rather ironical that Amaechi, who also sold Rivers State owned Olympia Hotel to Tonye Cole and squandered over N50 billion on the abandoned one kilometre monorail, is soliciting for votes for the same Cole.

Governor Wike assured the youths that he will personally ensure that they benefit immensely from the recruitment of 10,000 Rivers indigenes into the State civil service.

He directed the leadership of the National Youth Council chapter in the State to submit a comprehensive list of Rivers youths who desire to work in the civil service.

The governor, who enumerated several projects executed in all the 23 local government areas of the State, charged the youths to vote massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara, for the continuation and consolidation of the developmental stride of his administration.

Governor Wike announced the donation of the sum of N500 million to the National Youth Council of Nigeria for the building of its secretariat in Rivers State.

The convener of the rally, Tony Okocha, said the youths were impressed with governor Wike sterling performance in office, and will on Saturday vote overwhelmingly for all PDP candidates in the election.

On his part, the chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria ,Rivers State chapter, Chijioke Ihunwo, also assured the governor that Rivers youths have resolved to vote for Fubara and all other PDP candidates.

He declared that no Rivers youth will waste his or vote on any ex-militant or stranger contesting for the office of the governor of Rivers State.