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"I am aware that this (Monday) morning, Wike in company of his coterie of court jesters took some video cameramen and photographers on a tour of the Governor’s residence inside Government House. He took them to the Governor’s bedroom where he made further claims that the place has been looted. The question to ask is, did Wike know what was in my former bedroom before now, to conclude that the bedroom was looted? Did he speak with or review with the Permanent Secretary of Government House, who is the chief accounting officer before jumping into such hasty and misguided conclusion?” Apparently, he had already reached a conclusion before arriving Government House, and all he has been saying and doing is to work towards that conclusion of looting and vandalisation. It’s instructive to note that on Friday, May 29, Wike had barred some key officials of Government House, including civil servants from accessing the place. 48 hours later, he started shouting ‘vandalisation and looting’. This doesn’t smell right. I left the place intact. If there’s any vandalisation or looting in Government House after I left, Rivers people should ask Wike what happened. This is clearly a grand conspiracy to siphon state funds in the guise of renovating a vandalized and looted Government House and falsely smear my image.On the latter, Wike is sparing no expense, employing all sorts of insidious tactics to accuse me and rub me with the tar of corruption. I am aware that a plot is on by Wike to harass,intimidate, threaten, blackmail and do whatever it takes to get officials, including civil servants, who served in my administration to make false and phony claims of corruption against me, personally, and my dear wife, Judith; in spite of the fact that my wife was never an official of Government or public officeholder. These false, bogus and illusive claims can never be substantiated but Wike doesn’t care. All he wants is to taint my good name with screaming headlines of corruption and corrupt practices in the media. But, he will certainly fail.” Amaechi urged the media to beware of this plot, scrutinize thoroughly and disregard any of Wike’s wild and false claims of corrupt practices against him and his wife. He further advised the media to be weary and discard the stage-managed video by Wike purportedly showing the looting and vandalisation of Government House, Port Harcourt. The video is a fraud. Stage-managed to deceive and hoodwink the public”, the statement concluded
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Monday took leaders of the state on a tour of the Government House, Port Harcourt, allegedly vandalised by officials of the administration of the immediate past governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
The Governor took the leaders to the Residential Quarters, Offices and the Banquet Hall where key furniture, television sets and electrical accessories were vandalised.
The prominent leaders on the tour were the Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, former Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, former Attorney-General of the state, Frank Owhor, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, former Minister of Sports, Dr Danagogo, former Minister of Trade and Investment, Kenneth Kobani, Rivers State PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo and Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Korea, Desmond Akawor.
Speaking with journalists after the tour, Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, berated officials of the immediate past administration for embarking on the vandalism of properties of government.
Also speaking, the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Tele Ikuru, regretted that officials of the Amaechi administration would stoop so low to steal furniture, coat of arms, crested rugs and electrical fittings in the Government House, urging the governor to take steps to ensure that all those involved in the looting of the facilities are brought to book.
Rivers State PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, condemned the vandalism of beds and furniture at the official quarters of the governor.
He said: “It is unimaginable that the beds, chairs and official crested rugs in the Governor’s official quarters were stolen. Even the foam they left is Mouka foam, which they used to replace the original foam.
“This level of looting is embarrassing and must not go unpunished. It is sad that officials of the last administration will go to that level in their quest to destabilize the incoming administration “.
At the Banquet Hall of the Government House, officials of the administration allegedly moved away more than 500 chairs and key tables from the facility that sits 1000 persons.
Kitchen accessories in the governor’s official quarters were also allegedly vandalized by officials of the former administration.
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