“When I Made My First One Million US Dollars, Wike Was Just Passing Out From Law School” – Gov Makinde

By Adesina Soyooye

Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has mocked the much touted wealth usually associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Wike, since the end of his two-term tenure as the Governor of Rivers State, has always been touted as one of the richest politicians in Nigeria, and allegedly, one of the richest of President Bola Tinubu’s Ministers; the one who drives around in Rolls Royce in his State, atimes.

But Makinde is not moved by that.

At a televised Media Chat at Government House, Ibadan on Tuesday, December 23, 2024, Makinde declared that at the time he made his first one million US Dollars, Wike was just coming out of the Nigerian Law School. He said he made the one million dollars in 1997, at the age of 29 years, only. The FCT Minister graduated from the Law School in 1997.

On how he managed to make that huge amount of money at such a young age, Makinde explained that it was from the first major contract he secured form Mobil.

Makinde: “This is the first contract that Mobil awarded to Makun. Within that one year, I made $1 million. I was 29 years old in 1997, and perhaps at that time, he (Wike) had just left law school.”

The Governor, an Engineer, was born on December 25, 1967. He founded Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (METS) in 1997 after having worked for sometime in the oil and gas sector.

By this public disclosure, Makinde seems to be saying, indirectly, that unlike Wike, he had long made his money before he became a politician.