Claim by the former Governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi at a function in Abuja over the weekend that President Muhammadu Buhari is begging him to accept appointment as Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria or Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been described by the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as tantamount to glorifying corruption, and which also exposes the President’s ‘fight against corruption’ as anti-people and targeted at only members of the PDP.
The PDP, insisting that the former Governor of Rivers State, Mr Amaechi, is corrupt and has raped the State in an extreme manner, expresses reservations over the President’s stance, and his tolerance of the APC chieftain, who has at several fora boosted that he is a dependable ally of the President and also a prospective ministerial appointee for either the Defence Ministry or Ministry of Petroleum.
Similarly, the Party is also amazed at the manner Amaechi’s corrupt and fraudulent actions are continually being celebrated by his lieutenants, the APC folks in Rivers State and Abuja.
In like manner, the PDP recounts the illegal disbursement of two billion Naira Agricultural Loan, non-execution of the contract for the construction of the Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital, after the payment of the sum of thirty-nine million and two hundred thousand dollars, illegal withdrawal of ninety-six billion naira from the Rivers State Reserve Fund, illegal sale of Omuku, Afam, Eleme and Trans-Amadi Gas Turbines, as well as the sale of Olympia Hotel.
The PDP also recounted the fraudulent practices surrounding the Mono-rail and other phony projects abandoned in the State, after billions of naira were reportedly paid to ghost contractors by Mr Amaechi.
Also worrisome, the PDP recalls how under the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Davies Ikanya, when he held sway as Commissioner for Special Duties, billions of naira earmarked for the rehabilitation of Rivers indigenes, who were deported from a neighboring country to the State were mismanaged, an incident that led to him being disgraced from office.
The Party also challenges the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State, Mr Dakuku Peterside, to explain what happened to billions of naira Operation Zero Potholes, a conduit Pipe used to siphon government money, under his watch as Commissioner for Works, during the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP maintains that Mr Rotimi Amaechi and members of the APC are corrupt and lack qualities to hold public office in a government that claims to be fighting corruption and making ‘desired change’ in governance.
The PDP maintains that Amaechi’s quest for public office is driven by corruption, wondering why Amaechi will claim that President Buhari is begging him to take up ministerial position, when he is yet to clear corruption allegations against him. This, according to the Party, amounts to glorifying Amaechi and corruption, if his claim, at a public function in Abuja that Buhari is begging him to accept a ministrial appointment is true.
We make bold to say that under Amaechi as Governor, corruption was legalized and institutionalized. There are obvious evidence attesting to the validity of this position and the PDP is fully ready to provide prove of its claims.
‘’Looking elsewhere from Mr Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and concentrating only on those who worked under former President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the ‘fight against corruption’ amounts to witch-hunt and selective prosecution’’, the PDP tells President Buhari.
As a President who “belongs to everybody and for nobody”, Nigerians would expect that you demonstrably commit yourself to doing the right thing by not having sacred cows and allowing Mr Rotimi Amaechi and other APC chieftains who are found to be corrupt to clear themselves by facing investigation and prosecution by credible anti-graft agencies, not those seeing to have compromised their actions. Doing this, will further earn you credibility and trust.
