The APC government in Rivers State under Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said the Transport Minister never frittered away three trillion Naira in 8 years as dishonestly stated by the RS Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George in his press statement attached herewith.
The opposition party in a statement signed by its spokesman, Senibo Chris Finebone said: “It is important for Dr. Tam-George to cross-check his records so that he can overcome his little dream world of make-believe. We believe that the Commissioner is only continuing in his past-time of reeling out imaginary figures that fits his twisted motives.”
Full text of the statement reads:
“For once, Dr. Austin Tam-George should honestly explain how those uncompleted projects he conveniently claims were abandoned came about. He should painstakingly enumerate the many landmark projects completed by the Amaechi administration in the areas of dualisation of 90% of arterial roads in Port Harcourt, bridges, federal government Eleme Junction Interchange and Obiri Ikwerre Flyover, hundreds of health centres, model primary and secondary schools at every nook and cranny of the State and several more projects and programmes too numerous to mention. The Wike administration should endeavour to complete the Akpajo-Elelenwo-Oil Mill Junction dualisation which is the only road dualisation it has embarked upon before the government can appreciate the difference between road-patching and gutter construction as compared to underground water drainage and road dualisation.
“The Information and Communication Commissioner should approach the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] to ascertain whether the Amaechi administration obtained a N4b agricultural loan or got a grant from the apex bank before making his bogus assertions.
“We know that the Commissioner is driven to make such mendacious statements by two motives. One is a vengeful motive that does not merit recall here. Another is the fact that his relevance in the Wike team is based on his ability to pour sufficient tar on Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to the joy and relish of his principal, Gov. Nyesom Wike. Both motives have expiry dates and will come to pass in time.
“The APC believes that the borrowing spree by Gov. Nyesom Wike is a cheap and disingenuous means of mortgaging the future of the State and its people. We condemn it with all the vehemence that we can muster and we believe that posterity will prove us right.”
