Why I Rejected Wike’s Choice Of Office – Amaechi

By Adesina Soyooye

A former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that the ambition of his successor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, was to be the Commissioner for Finance, Rivers State under his (Amaechi’s) Government. However, Wike’s ambition fell flat when Amaechi turned it down.

In an apparent response to Wike who dragged him on Tuesday at a Media Parley for saying like other Nigerians, “I am hungry”, Amaechi said he had no time to respond to one who was his staff, his employee who has now reduced himself to behaving like a child. “I don’t respond to children, you were my employee”, Amaechi flung  at Wike.

Amaechi explained why he refused to appoint Wike his Commissioner for Finance. In a coded response, he said he wanted him where he would be able to directly supervise him (Wike).

Amaechi: ” (Mohammed) Adoke (Attorney General of the Federation and Commissioner for Justice under President Goodluck Jonathan) flew all the way from Abuja to Port Harcourt that Wike asked me to make him the Commissioner for Finance, and I said no, he has to work under me so that I can supervise him. I wanted him as Chief of Staff so I can supervise him.

“I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children.”

Mocking Wike for his ( Wike’s) usual boasts that he has no political godfather, Amaechi said:

“You know, he made himself Chief of Staff. He made himself Governor. He made himself Minister. He made himself Local Government Chairman.”

The two prominent sons of Rivers State, both political allies before now, both formerly known as “Odili Boys” because of the very positive roles Peter Odili, a revered former Governor of Rivers State, played in their lives, have since become sworn enemies. Sadly, Odili is at the receiving end from both of them.