According to reports, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dared Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike over his threat to sue the Federal Government on the $43 million recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos.
APC said Wike, his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, who linked the $43 million to the Minister of Transportation and immediate past governor of Rivers, Chibuike Amaechi, were being mischievous.
Wike, at the weekend alleged that the apartment where the money was found by EFCC operatives belongs to his predecessor and the $309 million was the 70 per cent equity share from the sale of the state-owned First Independent Power Company. The company had four gas turbines with installed capacity of 541 megawatts. It was sold to NG Power Limited at $800,000.00 per megawatts.
Amaechi, however, denied the allegation.
APC Chairman in Rivers, Davies Ikanya, said: “It was rather unfortunate for Wike to state that the $43 million was part of the proceeds of the Rivers State gas turbines sold during the administration of Amaechi, knowing very well that the money realised from the sale was duly lodged in the coffers of the state government.”
He condemned the threat by the Rivers State government to sue the Federal Government if by the end of seven days the money was not returned to the state.
“They should hide their faces in shame if they fail to act according to the threat. We urge the Federal Government to take this threat by Wike seriously and call him to order,” he said.
“It is on record that apart from the Abuja residence of Amaechi he has no other plot of land in any part of this country. So linking him to the ownership of the contentious Ikoyi building and the huge sum found in it is nothing but a plot to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it,” he added.
