Wike attacks Tonye Cole, demands account of $50m Rivers money

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant, Tonye Cole, will have to first answer to what had happened to the $50 million his Sahara Energy Company received through the Access Bank from the Rivers State government when Rotimi Amaechi was governor.

According to Wike, he’s not against anyone’s governorship ambition but Tonye Cole must first give account of the money he received from the administration of former Governor Amaechi.

His aide, Kelvin Ebiri, who made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, said Wike was speaking at the thanksgiving service on Sunday to celebrate the legal victory secured at the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the oil well dispute between Rivers and Imo States, that held at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Port Harcourt.

Wike said, “He (Cole) must account for the $50million they took from our account. Whoever knows him should tell him. $50million was taken from Rivers State Access Bank account and transferred to Sahara Energy account. And I asked them what is the job you people did for Rivers state? Can I see the contract paper, did you people loan us money?”

Wike also spoke against Amaechi bringing his business partner to become governor of the State when they have both sold and bought assets of the State including gas turbines.

He said, “You think you can sell this state. The former governor think that he can bring his business partner, after you have sold all our gas turbines, Olympia hotel, collected our $50million cash.”

The governor further added: “People think we will sit here and you will sell our state. Nobody can sell this state. Nobody can make this state his personal estate. A governor must be somebody who wants to develop this state, not somebody who wants to put the state in his pocket.”