PDP to Buhari: Sack Amaechi for looting Rivers’ treasury

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded for an immediate dismissal and prosecution of the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, by President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly looting the treasury of the state.

The party’s position was stated on Tuesday by its state chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, who hailed Monday’s judgment by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, upholding the legality of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, to probe the sale of valued assets of the state.

The PDP Chairman commended the Honourable Justices of the Court of Appeal who presided over suit number CA/PH/342/2015 and delivered the unanimous judgment, dismissing the appeal filed by the former Governor challenging the constitution of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

Chief Obuah said it would have amounted to gross injustice and subversion of Rivers peoples’ right if former Governor Rotimi Amaechi was allowed to go without being probed after the alleged “huge looting, misappropriation of public funds and reckless sale of valued state assets by his administration.”

The PDP chairman noted that after thorough inquiry, the Commission made some recommendations which he said found the former governor “culpable to the allegations made against him and his administration regarding the looting of the State.”

These, he said, included the sale of the Omoku 150 Mega Watts Gas Turbine; Afam 360 Mega Watts Turbine; Trans-Amadi 136 MW Gas Turbine; and Eleme 75MW Gas Turbine; the sale of Olympia Hotel; the waste of funds on the construction of the Mono-rail project; the failed construction of Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital; the disbursement of N2b under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme; the accrued sum total of money from the mandatory monthly contribution of N1bn by the Rivers State Government into the Rivers State Reserved Fund, and many others.

He further noted that some of the recommendations of the Commission which the former Governor must act fast to comply with include: “The refund of N4,633,440,000 illegally paid to CLINOTEC under the failed Public Private Partnership; That in respect of the thirty-eight (38) unregistered co-operative societies that benefited from the agricultural grants, the former Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Emmanuel Chinda, who compiled the list of the benefitting cooperative societies, should be made to refund all grants so disbursed and should also be prosecuted for defrauding the government and people of Rivers State. The Permanent Secretary and all members of the Disbursement Committee should be made to face disciplinary action for not following the guidelines of the Loan before recommending disbursement to the Co-operatives.

“That the former Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who gave approval for the disbursement of the sum of N3 billion obtained under the agricultural loan scheme without regard to the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria should be held to account for the diversion of the agricultural loan for purposes other than the development of agriculture and agro-allied activities in Rivers State.

“That Considering the illegality surrounding the withdrawals, including the N53, 936, 000,000.00 between February 2014 and January 2015, and N30bn on 13/2/2014, former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi should be held to account for the withdrawals and default thereof, the Office of the Honourable Attorney- General should take appropriate legal steps to recover the sums of money withdrawn from the fund, among others.