Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Wednesdayreceived the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry established by his administration to investigate the sale of valued Rivers State Government property and other related matters by the administration of former Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
From Right: Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike receiving the report of the Rivers State Commission of Inquiry on the Sale of Valued Assets from the Chairman, Justice George Omereji at Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
The Governor who received the report from the Commission’s Chairman, Justice George Omereji at the Government House, Port Harcourt declared that his administration will diligently implement the recommendations of the Commission in the interest of the state and her people.
This is as the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry, Justice George Omereji advised the state government to act on the report quickly to ensure that billions of Naira of state funds stashed in private accounts are recovered.
The governor declared that in addition to implementing the report, his administration will make the content public and also intimate the public on the next line of action.
Governor Wike said: "We will make sure that we swing into action immediately to see that the recommendations by the Commission are implemented.
"We will not be intimidated by anybody or group of persons. So many things have been done to discredit your commission. But to me, I know when the hands of a person are not clean, he resorts to the media."
While commending members of the Commission for serving the state honestly, Governor Wike acknowledged that the he is aware of the threats they faced in the course of carrying out the state assignment.
He said : "I know the threats you and your members faced. But what is important in life is once you are clean and your conscience is clear, go ahead and do what is right".
Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Commission of Inquiry into the sale of Valued State Assets and other related matters, Justice George Omereji informed the governor that the commission received 442 exhibits, 27 memoranda while 25 witnesses testified before it.
He added that the commission visited several sites in line with its terms of reference.
According to him: "Government should act fast on the report and Rivers people will be better for it. If government acts fast, we will be able to recover billions stashed into where they kept them. That money belongs to the Rivers people and I hope government would act fast to recover it, so that it would be used for the people of Rivers State".
He noted that the commission’s work was delayed by two suits filed by former governor Amaechi and Mr Augustine Wokocha. He said the commission only started sitting after the dismissal of the suits.
It will be recalled that Governor Wike set up the commission with the mandate to investigate the sale of the following :Omoku 150 MW gas turbine, Afam 360 MW gas turbine, Trans-Amadi 136 MW gas turbine and the Eleme 75 MW gas turbine.
The panel also investigated the sales of Olympia Hotel, the execution of the Mono-rail project, non-execution of the Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital after the payment of Thirty-nine million and two hundred thousand dollars to the contractor.
The Commission also investigated the disbursement and use of the Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture credit guarantee scheme fund of N2billion and the withdrawal of N96 billion from the State Reserve Funds. The panel was also mandated to ascertain the circumstances of the sales of the four gas turbines and to identify the purchasers and also confirm whether the transaction was conducted with transparency.
Simeon Nwakaudu,
Special Assistant ( Media ) to the Rivers State Governor.
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