The governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike has said that he used the state’s share of the derivation funds owed the Niger Delta core states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa and Edo since 1999 to build all flyovers and provide many other infrastructure commissioned in the state lately.
He said the money was released by President Muhammadu Buhari
The governor disclosed this at the weekend in Port Harcourt at a banquet organised by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in honour of the G5 governors who were in the state for the party’s campaign flag-off on Friday.
The G-5 governors are Wike as the arrowhead, Messrs Samuel Ortom (Benue State), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State).
Wike who expressed appreciation to Buhari for releasing the money challenged his colleagues in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo who also benefitted from it to show evidence of its utilisation.
“I thank President Buhari and people had been sending me messages, saying why did I say that? But I say why won’t I say that?
“I am not an apostle of Buhari. Most of you go to the villa in the night but I haven’t gone. The truth of the matter is that Buhari released monies that were not paid to us since 1999.
“The money was paid to some states in the Niger Delta. Let every state come and account for the money. I, as Rivers governor, can account for it.
“There is one man who married 20 wives and we said no you can’t extort states of over 400 million US dollars. One man. He said he did work, which work? But we say we won’t allow him take that money.
“He said I should tell Rivers what I did with the money. Today, part of what I did with the money is the Law school. Part of what I did with the money is ninth flyover, the tenth flyover.
“Let him also tell his boss to tell his people what he did with the money,” Wike said.
On calls on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to sanction him, Wike said he was patiently waiting for that to happen, maintaining that he was not scared of such threats.
“They say they will sack me. I have been looking for the day they will sack me. Then they sack me, I pepper you. You will know that khaki no be leather,” he said.
On why he sings the praise of Buhari, the governor said: “People called me and asked me why I should commend President Muhammadu Buhari. I said it and I have no apologies to anybody. I am not a fan of President Buhari. If there is any governor that has criticised President Buhari, it is me and others from the integrity group.
“I said that Buhari approved the monies that nobody paid the core Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Edo. Every money that they took from us he approved and we got the money.
“And that is the money I have been using to build the Law School, 12 flyovers, the cancer centre, the first road to Trans-Kalabari, Sakpanwa to Konor, dualise Ahoada.
“People must say the truth. I don’t know the day I will die, but now that I am alive, I will tell the people the truth. They tried to break us but they failed. They will never break us.”
Speaking on the G-5 or Integrity Governors, which he leads, Wike said the group wants to “rescue our party and rescue Nigeria.
“Let me assure you that the integrity group will not lose any of its state governors.
“No amount of gang up will make us to lose Abia, Enugu, Benue, Oyo and Rivers states.
“Let the world and Nigeria hear. This state will not continue to sacrifice for anybody. You must sacrifice for this state. We have suffered enough. We have worked for this party and we will not, it doesn’t matter what people will say. Death will come when it will come.
“But you conspired to think that Rivers State will be no state and I tell you, no way.”
Wike hinted that the PDP presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Atiku Abubakar was already planning to exact his pound of flesh from the governors who oppose his candidature.
“Just like all of them here, you have not won election and you want to jail Benue governor. You have not won election and you want to jail Enugu governor. You have not won election and you want to jail Oyo governor. God will not allow you.
“Because they stand for the truth and say they will support Wike, therefore all of them will come down. They will never come down. They cannot be governors again. Only Seyi, he will still be governor. He has worked for Oyo State and you cannot threaten him.
“What have we done? We say by our party’s constitution, the president should go here and chairman should go here. But you say no you will take everything; we also say no we won’t allow that. History will be on our side that we are saying the truth and nothing but the truth.
“What you must do to chase away your opponent is operation show your report cards.
“Mr. President said we have done well, and if he says so, who are these people?”
In his remarks, Ortom described Wike as a man who believes in equity, fairness and justice saying they decided to work with him in the interest of the country.
He said they believed before the primary election that it was only fair that after the eight years of Buhari, the presidency should go to the South.
“We respect Wike because he fears God. We have chosen to work with him. With what I have seen now, I want to congratulate the incoming governor. We believe in the same ethics with Wike.
“For the sake of equity, after eight years of Buhari, the next President should go to the south. Your son contested but some said he lost. The issue of running mate was frustrated by enemies of progress.
“They have not been able to deploy the conflict resolution mechanism to resolve the crisis in PDP. Work with governor Wike, at the right time, we decide what to do. Anything outside equity and justice, we are not there.”
Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu and Makinde, for their part, called on Rivers people to vote for Fubara and other candidates of the party in the state.
“Let me congratulate the incoming from the governor to the House of Assembly. You should remain focused until we have the mandate of the people. Sim Fubara will be your governor,” Makinde said.
Also speaking, Fayose asked the party leadership to resolve the internal crisis before it becomes too late.
“Governor Wike and G5 don’t want to be president; they are saying what is fair is fair. I plead with them to come and let us find a solution to it,” he said.
With The Nation report
