Former Rivers South East Senatorial District Representative at the National Assembly, Senator Olaka Nwogu has said that former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike ran periodic accounting of the resources he used for any project during his administration.
This is following the announcement made by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on his plans to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to probe how the affairs of governance were conducted in the state by the former governor Nyesom Wike, before he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Olaka said Fubara’s move is purely a political propaganda and not in the interest of Rivers citizens.
“Let us know this for a fact. But I can tell you that when Wike ran the government, he ran periodic accounting. He accounted for the resources of Rivers State copiously. Even when the federal government released money to governors, it was Wike that said I did this with this money. People did not know that certain governors got certain monies which were like the monies owed states. It was Wike that said it. He always pinpointed state projects and tied the money to them.
Wike kept saying he wanted Fubara to be a hero and left so many projects for him to commission. He was building Fubara with so much love and gave him so much capacity because Fubara was criticised for not having capacity. Fubara is acting politically and not in the interest of the State at this moment. Whatever you are seeing now is propaganda. Now he is going after Wike’ image.”
The Senator further expressed skepticism over Fubara’s motives, questioning the sudden emergence of purported incriminating records and casting doubt on their validity.
He pointedly accused Fubara of seeking to rewrite history and tarnish Wike’s legacy as a transformative leader.
“Fubara had nothing wrong with Wike before all these problems started and now, he is the accuser, he wants to be the one who will set up a panel, he will prosecute, judge and say Wike is guilty and I do agree that everybody should subject themselves to whatever investigation that is necessary.
“You want to investigate a man you already have an issue with and you were the keeper of his records; you were his accountant. You kept the records of the state, you paid the money, you raised the vouchers and you saw nothing wrong with what you did and now you know that something is wrong. Where are these records now coming from that you want to put forward to anybody?”
Olaka also lauded former governor Wike’s achievements in infrastructure development, highlighting his reputation as the “living hero of Rivers State.”
“I find the escalation quite embarrassing, needless and the whole talk about investigating and all that is just to do an official lynch of a man who is the living hero of Rivers State, the best governor we ever had, the man who changed the face of infrastructure in our state and put us on the map of good governance and even from an adversarial government, the APC-led federal government at that time, named him the best performing governor in infrastructure.
“Today, he is being vilified and people will find the courage and the nerve to rewrite history before our very own eyes. What Wike did can never leave our minds and it is something you must see. He gave value for money; he did things that were unprecedented. He did it in Rivers State and now he is doing it in Abuja. For me, we thought the next eight years will mark another person doing the same things, taking us to the next level. But it beats me that somebody who benefitted from the political patronage of Wike can turn around, recruit all those who opposed him. When Wike brought Governor Fubara to run for election, those who fought him are his allies today and everyday is now about calling Wike names and putting lies out.”
Chioma Kalu
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