* Demands return within 7 days
By Teddy Nwanunobi
Abuja (Sundiata Post) — The Rivers State Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to return the monies that were recovered, on Wednesday, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from an Ikoyi apartment, saying that, “The money in question belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi”.
The anti-graft Agency, however, failed to mention the names of the persons suspected to have kept the cash haul of $43.4 million, N23.2 million and £27,800 it uncovered at No 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, thereby leaving room for much speculation.
Persons, who have so far been linked to the building and/or the cash, include the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu; and former Managing Director at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue.
But Wike, who made the claim, late Friday night, through a statement issued by his Special Assistant (Electronic Media), Simeon Nwakaudu, also claimed that, “the houses in Ikoyi also belong to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi”.
Consequently, the Rivers State Government has threatened to take legal measures against the Federal Government to ensure that it gets back her stolen resources from Amaechi.
“Investigation by the Rivers State Government revealed that the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbines by the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
“The money in question belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. We want to confirm that the houses in Ikoyi also belong to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“If you recollect in 2015, we said that gas turbines built by Former Governor Peter Odili were sold to Sahara Energy, business partners of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi at $319 million.
“That money was used to sponsor the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2015 general elections. From the date of sale of the gas turbines to May 29, 2015, the money depleted from $319 million to $204,000. What was stashed at the Ikoyi residence was part of that fund.
“We have facts to prove that the said money belongs to the Rivers State Government. The Federal Government must return our money,” Wike said.
Wike also said that all the stories being peddled about the money belonging to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are false and mere face saving measures by the embattled APC Federal Government.
“As I speak to you, the Federal Government is so embarrassed that this has happened. All the stories that the money belongs to the NIA are fake,” he added.
He challenged the Federal Government to set up a panel of inquiry, which will sit publicly to investigate the money, if it so doubts the claim of the Rivers State Government.
Wike, who stated that the Rivers State Government needs the money to complete an array of projects, insisted that, on no account would this criminal activity be swept under the carpet.
The Governor said that, as long as the Federal Government continues to disturb the progress of Rivers State, so long will God throw the Federal Government into confusion.
“We are giving them seven days to return our money. Otherwise, we would take legal action to recover our money. $43 million will help us complete several projects. We need that money for projects,” he said.
It would be recalled that former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, earlier, on Friday, wrote on his Twitter account, @realFFK, that Amaechi owns both $43 million and the flat it was found in.
The onetime Minister of Culture also claimed that the NIA does not keep cash in minister’s flats.
“The $43 million is Rotimi Amaechi’s.He owns the flat it was found in too.NIA story is fake news! NIA does not keep cash in Minister’s flats!” Fani-Kayode wrote.
