By Charles Igbo
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, of transferring a whopping sum 50 million Dollars belonging to the State to the bank accounts of a privately owned company – Sahara Energy.
Wike alleged that Amaechi sold off Rivers State’s concerns – Turbines and Olympia Hotel – for the sum of $50 million Dollars, and transferred same to Sahara Energy which belongs to Tonye Cole. Wike, also, insisted that Cole is Amaechi’s business partner.
Cole is the consensus Governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 election. But Wike insists that Amaechi is planting Cole, his business partner, so that the two of them would sell the State.
The Governor is a Presidential aspirant on the banner of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, just as Amaechi is also a Presidential aspirant under the APC.
However, Wike has sent a message to Cole over the $50m.
Speaking at St Cyprain Anglican Cathedral on Sunday, May 8, 2022, daring a Thanksgiving Service, Wike said whoever knows Cole should tell him that he must account for the money.
Speaking on Amaechi, Wike said: “You, Amaechi, think you can sell this State? The former Governor thinks he can bring his business partner, after you have sold all our Gas Turbines, Olympia Hotel, collected our $50 million cash.
“He, Cole, must account for the $50 million they took from our account. Whoever knows him should tell him. $50 million was taken from Rivers State Access Bank account and transferred to Sahara Energy account.
“And, I asked them what is the job you people did for Rivers State. Can I see the contract paper? Did you people loan us money?”
Wike who fought the battle for Amaechi to become Governor, was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff. But both of them have since fallen out very badly. They are no longer in the same party, as Amaechi has since defected to the APC.
