PDP In Rivers Wants Buhari to Probe Amaechi for Massive Fraud

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi to stop hiding and publically face the immense corruption allegations against him. A statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the party, Jerry Needam says that "the degree and number of fraudulent acts initiated and committed by the former Governor are shocking and no longer be glossed over."

On CNN's Amanpour Live Report it was reported that Amaechi has been stacking money in different foreign accounts. According to the statement, Amanpour’s show said "the sum of over 757 million U.S. dollars was stacked by Amaechi in a foreign U.S. Bancorp/Minnesota account."

The Integrity Group, a non-governmental organization, has sent a petition to Buhari as well as the Economic Financial Crimes Commission chairman to investigate Amaechi for the over N70 billion stolen from the Rivers State government.

This amount is separate from the N21 billion which the PDP claims Amaechi transferred from the Power Assets proceeds account of Access bank to the accounts of three private companies with a 25 Trans-Amadi Road, Port Harcourt address. Those companies are Advante Consulting and Management Company, Result Imports Experts Company, and Capital Ltd.

The PDP in Rivers State claim that there are many more instances of fraud and theft perpetrated by the former Governor, which is why they are asking President Buhari to probe Rotimi Amaechi’s past.

Amaechi - I asked God to protect me by making Jonathan lose

Former Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers said on Monday in Abuja that the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in this year’s general elections was engineered by God.

Mr. Amaechi said this at a reception organised for him by the Committee of Friends at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

He said God engineered the victory by giving the APC a good and credible presidential candidate, which enabled the party to win the last election.

He thanked all members of the party for working hard during the campaign, saying the victory was for all party members.

“Gov. Amaechi did not contribute more than you did. We all worked together; in fact, it will be unfair for us to claim the glory.

“This is because I believe that the victory of APC was engineered by God.

“And I saw it coming and told my friends that we would win. People thought I was a political mathematician.

“The more I prayed, the more God gave me the confidence that we would win.

“One of my prayer points was `God, do not tell me You will protect me after we lose; protect me now by making sure that we win’; and we won.”

Mr. Amaechi, however, stressed that APC must deliver, as the citizens would hold it accountable in 2019.

“We will not disappoint Nigerians. We believe APC governors are progressives and therefore, they cannot afford not to deliver.”

The former governor said that the struggle had been quite challenging since he joined APC, adding that the state’s allocation from the Federation Account had reduced grossly.

“From 2013, we were receiving N6 billion; by the time I left office, our wage bill monthly was N9.2 billion.’’

Mr. Amaechi recalled that when the state was receiving about N20 billion monthly, he employed more teachers for the university, college of education, polytechnics as well as secondary and primary schools.

He said that the increased wage bill of N9.2 billion was because more people were employed in the state.

“The fuel subsidy was N300 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it remained the same under President Umaru Yar’Adua.

“Within six months under President Goodluck Jonathan, the fuel subsidy rose from N300 billion to N1.9 trillion.

“Yet, Jonathan wanted more money for fuel subsidy.

“This prompted the trouble between me and the Jonathan administration,” he said.

Mr. Amaechi thanked the organisers for the reception in his honour.

The National Chairman of the APC, John Oyegun, said Mr. Amaechi had the ability to struggle, fight and win power, describing him as “hyper-active”.

“Amaechi brought passion and energy into APC and he was aware of the risks of failure. The man we are celebrating today deserves honour,” Mr. Oyegun said.

Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Chairman of the occasion, said Mr. Amaechi had transformed Rivers within the seven years he governed the state.

“I know this because I have visited Rivers many times and have seen the work he did.

“The primary schools in the state are better than some state universities.

“He also transformed the roads, health sector and created jobs, among other things.

“All these feats make him a transformative leader,” Mr. El-Rufai said.

The governor said that Mr. Amaechi was constantly strategising for the party, making him an arrowhead in the lead-up to the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

Mr. El-Rufai said the former Rivers governor particularly contributed to efforts to increase the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards from 50 per cent to 90 per cent nationally, shortly before the general elections.

He said that Mr. Amaechi was worthy of being celebrated because he displayed courage in everything he did and cared about humanity.

“He has no regard for ethnic affiliation; he has no regard for religious affiliation.

“He is a devout Catholic who believes that every human being is entitled to his or her religious beliefs.

“What matters most to Amaechi are fairness, equity and justice and I am happy to call him my friend,’’ Mr. El-Rufa’i said.

(NAN)

Amaechi - Jonathan raised fuel subsidy from N300bn to N1.9trn

Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, has accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of increasing the country’s subsidy claim from N300 billion to N1.9trillion all by himself during his administration.

He said:

“The fuel subsidy was N300 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it remained the same under late President Yar’Adua. Within 6 months under President Jonathan, the fuel subsidy rose from N300 billion to N1.9 trillion. Yet, Jonathan wanted more money for fuel subsidy.
“Is it that the country now doubled its population or bought more machines or started manufacturing? As chairman of Governors Forum, I was in a position to get my share of the N1.9 trillion but I chose the part of honesty and truth, you cannot catch me being dishonest.
“There was a time I walked into a meeting with the president (Goodluck Jonathan) and at the meeting, the argument was that they wanted more money for oil subsidy. As the chairman of Governors Forum, I stood my ground and told the president I was not going to support that.
“He asked me why and I explained that we were already in court on the issue of fuel subsidy. The president abused the hell out of my life. I have huge respect for the president, but the only thing that made me disagree with him was on the issue of the management of the country’s treasury.


In regards to anti-South South allegation, he said:

“I told the president then that those who were accusing me of being anti South South will come out and tell the world the development that has happened to the South South under his presidency. The president confirmed it himself during the campaign that he has done nothing, he said: “I know I’ve done nothing but if you vote for me, I’ll do…” so I call him I’ll do president.
“This prompted the trouble between me and the Jonathan administration.”

Recalling his face-off with Jonathan, he stated that the genesis of their differences dated back when the former president reduced the allocation due to Rivers State from N20 billion to paltry N6 billion, adding that he never worked against the South South zone.

He alleged that the current government of his state under Governor Nyesom Wike was working against him being appointed a Minister on the grounds that he would determine the course of the state politics.
He said:

“Some people will say I betrayed the South South, I have no word for betrayal. May God not give me the ambition the current governor of Rivers State has, he can sell anybody. God should rather put me to death than to have an ambition to sell this country.
“The current governor of Rivers State and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are afraid of me getting appointment at the national level, because that will determine the politics of Rivers State. They know that the current president abhors corruption and the only way to stop me from getting appointment is to paint that picture of corruption.




Vanguard