Former Rivers State governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing attack on his predecessor and political rival, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing Amaechi’s wife of misappropriating N4 billion meant for the training of Niger Delta women.
Wike made the allegation during
an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, where he addressed
various political issues, including recent remarks by Amaechi, who had claimed
seniority over him and demanded respect on account of age and political
experience.
Responding pointedly, Wike
dismissed Amaechi’s assertion, saying, “I think it’s very unfortunate. You
should be respected because of the integrity you have and the honour you have,
not because you are 200 years old. He cannot claim to be older than me just
because he was governor before me.”
The FCT minister went further to
trace his political history, claiming he was already an elected local
government chairman before ever meeting Amaechi.
“I want to say, with due respect,
that I never knew Rotimi from Adams. In 1998, I contested for one of Nigeria’s
most respected local governments, Obiakpor Local Government, and I won,” Wike
stated.
He recounted how mutual
associates allegedly aided Amaechi’s political career after an initial defeat.
Wike turned his attention to
Amaechi’s wife, accusing her of falsely claiming the title of “industrialist”
and linking her alleged financial activities to the yet-to-be-published
forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“When did your wife become an
industrialist? Which company does she own?” Wike asked.
“Let’s play politics; leave our
wives out of this. I regret to bring her up here. She’s not an industrialist;
selling does not make you an industrialist.”
Wike criticised Amaechi for
allegedly using his wife’s business status for political grandstanding and
questioned his rival’s regard for his spouse.
“So unfortunate that a former
governor will say that because my wife is a trader, therefore, she is an
industrialist. If you love your wife, why would you bring her up in this kind
of discussion? I respect my wife; that’s why it’s very difficult for me to talk
about women. How can a man who wants to become a governor talk about his wife
like that? I don’t think Amaechi loves his wife. If he loves his wife, he would
not say that kind of thing about her.”
Wike, therefore, called on
President Bola Tinubu to release the long-awaited NDDC forensic audit report,
alleging that it contains details of how Amaechi’s wife embezzled billions of
naira.
“I ask Mr President to release
the forensic audit of the NDDC, to make Amaechi’s wife explain how she spent N4
billion naira on training Niger Delta women,” he said. “It was [former
Attorney-General] Malami that killed that report. That’s how Amaechi’s wife
became an industrialist — four billion naira every month to train Niger Delta
women,” Wike revealed.
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