I Did Not Receive 108 Billion Naira From Jonathan--Wike

     
Rivers State Governor Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike has denied allegations that he received the sum of N108 billion from the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan as refund from the repairs of federal roads in the state, which was carried out by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

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Wike, who made the denial during an interactive session with journalists in Port Harcourt at the weekend, wondered when the money was released to him, adding that such funds are not difficult to trace.

The governor said, “It is not possible that I received N108 billion. Did Jonathan pay the money into my account or gave me the cash‎? Was I paid the money before or after I was sworn-in as governor? Did Jonathan have the power to sign money after President Mohammadu Buhari was sworn-in?


“Is it possible that no‎body can trace the money (N108 billion) if it was given to me? It is unfortunate. How people have trivialized governance‎. So such stories should be discountenanced.”

On the sufferings of Rivers State students on government scholarship scheme, Wike described the programme as a scam, and accused the state government of using consultants when there was a scholarship board in the state.

He said, “If the fees being paid is N2 billion, consultants take N900 million. Why use consultants to do jobs when you have a scholarship board? Now our children (students) are in foreign lands suffering. Their parents are crying why send our children abroad when you can pay their fees. We must return things back to the way it use to be in order to achieve maximum benefit.

On the N10 billion loan approvals recently granted him by the state House of Assembly‎, the governor stated that it was to finance major uncompleted projects in the state, saying his government had nothing when it came on board.

He said, “The State House of Assembly and the Judiciary have been shut because of the political crisis that be-deviled the previous administration. We gave N300 million each to these two arms of government to carry out repairs, adding a number of uncompleted roads and bridges would be completed.”