The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that the N600 billion left in the Rivers State coffers after the lifting of the emergency rule in the state is attracting political interest.
Wike stated this when he met with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly at their legislative quarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt on Saturday evening.
Recall that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, had during one of the sittings said that the immediate past administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), left N600 billion in the state coffers following the lifting of the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Tinubu on September 18.
Amaewhule was reacting to a report presented on the floor of the House by the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Aforji Igwe, on the deplorable state of public schools in the state. The Speaker accused the governor of abandoning public schools and queried why part of the leftover funds could not be used to upgrade school infrastructure and employ more qualified teachers.
Meanwhile, a week later, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while speaking at a project inauguration, affirmed the Speaker’s claim, stating that he left N300 billion in the treasury following his suspension by the President on March 18 and met N600 billion on resumption of office on September 18.
The governor, however, replied to the Speaker that the state funds were being used judiciously, adding that he would soon present his stewardship.
Continuing, the FCT minister made a veiled reference to some prominent politicians who recently visited the state and met with his successor.
Wike said during their visits, the politicians showered praises on the governor, who recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, noting that all they were after was the N600 billion in the state coffers.
He said those who disclosed the existence of such funds made a mistake, as it had now triggered a scramble to access the money. He added that an easy way to get money from the Rivers State Government was simply to abuse him and then “smile home” thereafter.
The former Rivers State governor noted that history had shown that politicians always had interest in the state’s funds, especially after hearing about the availability of such a huge amount. He described some of them as political fraudsters.
He stated, “Giving the experience in Nigerian politics, Nigerian politicians like Rivers’ money. I can tell you that. Go and study it. Nigerian politicians like Rivers’ money.
“If you want to make money in Rivers today, I don’t know how you made the mistake of announcing that there is N600 and something billion. That mistake you made announcing that has placed some politicians from other states, I know them.
“They will now tell somebody here, this Wike enough is enough, they collect (part of the money). Don’t worry Wike, his own time is finished, they collect. So for you to be able to suck part of that N600 and something billion, you must say Wike’s time is over.
“That is the way now if you want to suck from that N600 and something billion you went and told the public, you opened the whole thing. So you know people were hanging. Now you are the one who opened the door that you have this kind of money.
“So what do you want them to do? People are waiting for where they will perch.
“So every day they put on the front page they have adopted so-so people, they collect. So-so people in so-so committees, they collect.”
He continued, “Are you not seeing it that the President is happy with you, they collect. If you learn the pattern of politics here you won’t bother yourself because anybody who comes to Rivers State now must say the president is happy with you, he collects his own.
“They don’t want to hear Wike again, they collect their own. He (FCT Minister) doesn’t see the president again, they collect. You people also made the mistake of telling the world the amount of money. You see a lot of political 419; that is what is going on. During my time nobody could do that because I know it … I have worked in Abuja several times.”
Recall that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had led a Federal Government delegation comprising the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, to visit Fubara last week, where they conveyed President Tinubu’s message that he was “happy” with the governor.
Also, last Monday, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who accompanied Fubara to the inauguration of newly completed Permanent Secretaries’ quarters at Elimgbu in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, called on Rivers residents to rally behind the ruling party and support President Tinubu and Governor Fubara in the 2027 general elections.
Wike commended the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly for adhering to the peace pact brokered by President Tinubu during the political crisis in the state, stressing that agreements must be respected and upheld.
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