Refund N97bn or face trial – Rivers govt orders Amaechi, others

The Rivers State government, yesterday, ordered former governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a former Military Administrator (MILAD) of the state, Brig-Gen. Anthony Ukpo (rtd), and some former political office holders to refund over N97 billion allegedly misappropriated in the sales of valued assets of the state.

The government also directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Chinwe Aguma (SAN) to begin the process of prosecuting Amaechi and two others over the sale of the state’s four gas turbines without recourse to due process.

Also, Governor Nyesom Wike ordered the suspension of permanent secretaries and other top civil servants indicted by the report of the Justice George Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the sales of valued assets of the state during the immediate past administration.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the state executive council meeting where the White Paper on the Commission’s report was issued, the Commissioner for Housing, Barrister Emma Okah, said Amaechi will be prosecuted along with the former commissioner for Finance, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside and his counterpart in the Ministry of Power, Sir Augustine Nwokocha.

Okah said the government also ordered the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to commence the recovery of funds realized from the sale of the four gas turbines from Amaechi and Nwokocha.

“You will agree with me that the Omereji commission had several terms of reference and we will be taking them one after the other. The first term of reference is to ascertain the sale of the Omoku 150 megawatts gas turbine; Afam 360 megawatts gas turbine; Trans-Amadi 136 megawatts gas turbine and the Eleme 75 megawatts gas turbine by the administration of former governor Chibhike Rotimi Amaechi.

“The Commission finds as a fact that the sale of 70% equity from the First Independent Power Limited in Omoku gas turbine, Trans-Amadi gas turbine, Afam Phase I gas turbine and Eleme gas turbine have been very difficult to justify. They have therefore recommended the review of sale of the power assets and the government of Rivers State has accepted that recommendation.

“Refund of proceeds by Chibuike Amaechi , Chamberlain Peterside and Augustine Nwokocha. In furtherance of this findings, that the sale of the four gas turbines was unjustifiable and against the interest of the government and people of Rivers State.

“The Commission recommends that the former governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, along with his former Commissioners for Finance and Power, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside and Augustine Nwokocha, respectively, should be held to account for their roles in the sales of the power generation assets of First Independent Power Limited and the disbursement of the proceeds therefrom.

“Government accepts this recommendation and directs the office of the Honorable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to promptly set in motion the appropriate machinery for the recovery of the proceeds of the sale of the gas turbines from the former governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, and every other persons implicated in the Commission’s report.”

Okah further announced that the state government has directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to recover the N3billion from former Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chinda, which were meant for agriculture free loans to farmers.

He further stated that former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker is also expected to refund some billions of naira that was expended without due process for the construction of the Justice Karibi-Whyte Hospital while the former Commissioner for Transport, George Tolofari and former Military Administrator of old Rivers State, Brigadier-General Anthony Ukpo are to join Amaechi in returning N33 billion spent on the state’s monorail project without passing through due process.

But reacting to the development, the Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Hon. Godstime Orlukwu, described the decision of the state government to issue a White Paper of the Omereji report as a non-issue.

Orlukwu said Amaechi, who is the leader of the party in the state, will
definitely meet the state government in court, when it fulfils its vow to prosecute the former governor, saying: “It is a non-issue. Let them begin the prosecution; there is no problem, we will meet them in court.” [Mynewswatchtimesng]