Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has told President Muhammadu Buhari how unfair it was of him to make a blanket allegation of corruption against Governors. Wike said it is what is called “class defamation.” The Governor is a Lawyer.
Wike was reacting to a statement credited to the President during his speech at the Presidential Parley for members of the Senior Executive Course 44(2022) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies at the State House, Abuja. Buhari stopped short of calling Governors thieves. He said they embezzle Local Government funds.
The President stated that the Governors ended up giving Local Councils, just about half of their funds. Meaning, according to the President, that the Governors are collectively corrupt.
But Wike on Friday, took a strong exception to the label placed on the Governors by Buhari. He challenged the President to name the corrupt Governors instead of making a blanket allegation, and committing class defamation.
Wike denied being part of those who embezzle Local Government funds at the inauguration ceremony of the Mgbuosimini Internal roads in the State.
He swore, in the name of God that he had never before touched Local Government funds and threw a challenge to anybody to prove him wrong.
The Governor, also, made an exception for the four other Peoples Democratic Party’s Governors with whom he is waging a war of attrition against the PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and the Presidential Candidate of the Party, Atiku Abubakar.
He said the G-5 Governors have integrity and would never embezzle Local Government funds.
Wike: “I want to challenge Mr President. Mr President you are a leader and we believe as leaders you must come out and tell Nigerians who are those committing the offence.
“You said the Governors are taking Local Government funds. I want to say, in the name of Almighty God, I have never touched Local Government funds one day. I have never, and I have no reason to do that.
“So, Mr President, who are these people? You know them, tell us. It is not good to say what you call class defamation.
“You say Governors. Please, I am not one of those Governors. So, Mr President, please spare me. Tell Nigerians that the Integrity Governors (G-5) are not part of them. We have integrity. We are not part of them.”
It is common knowledge, however, that most Governors tamper with Local Government funds. At times, what gets to the LGs are less than half of what has been allocated to them.
This is why, many agree, there is little or no developments at the Local Government level.
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