*Says President paid all dues including 13% oil derivation backlog
*Challenges Niger Delta Govs over accountability of funds
*Says ‘No regret to provide logistics support for Obi’
By KEMI KASUMU
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has challenged his counterparts in the Niger Delta zone to account for the huge sums of monies received by them as backlog for the 13% oil derivation since 1999, which was approved and paid by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike threw the challenge at the nine governors on Friday night when he spoke during a banquet organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State for the PDP G5 governors who are in Port Harcourt for the party’s state-level campaign flag-off on Saturday.
The governor told attendees at the banquet that while he can point to the projects executed by his administration with the monies in Rivers, some of his colleagues cannot show any proof.
He said, “I am not an Apostle of Buhari; he is not my friend but I have no regret to appreciate him for paying the money meant for the Niger Delta states. He has paid. Let everybody come and account for it.”
Wike had during the commissioning of the Nabo Graham-Douglas CPUs of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt commended Buhari for approving all the monies accruable to the Niger Delta states since 1999.
Wike lashed out at an unnamed politician whose interest he said is in marrying many wives and attempting to collect from the Federal Government over 400 million dollars as consultancy fee.
He said while he is looking forward to the day the party will sack him as advised by the unnamed fellow, he should tell his governor to account for the refunds received from the Federal Government.
“They say they will sack. I have been looking for the day they will sack me. Then they sack me, I pepper you. You will know that khaki no be leather.”
He insisted that the G5 governors cannot be broken, as they are bonded to save Nigeria.
Wike also maintained his position not to campaign for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in Rivers.
He said the campaign that will be flagged off in Port Harcourt today will be for those contesting for the National Assembly, State Assembly and Governorship seats in Rivers.
According to him, the symbolic handing over of party flags to the candidates will be performed by the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Taofeek Arapaja.
Video: Wike eulogises Buhari
In another video watched by The DEFENDER, Wike had told another gathering attended by Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), that although his prayers, as an opposition had been that the ruling party should not succeed that he must tell the truth when it has to be told that President Muhammadu Buhari has done well.
“Let me just tell you this, I don’t praise Mr. President, no. It is not for me that they should do well, my prayer is that they shouldn’t do well so that we can take over. But the truth is that, and let me say it for the first time, so many people ask me where is getting this money from? Let me say it and I want, through the Attorney General, to thank Mr. President. Monies that were not paid to the Niger Delta states since 1999, the 13 percent deductions, Mr. President approved and paid all of us from Niger Delta states. And for me, it will be unfair not to tell the public.
“It is not from FAAC money as paid to me as Rivers State, Delta State, Akwa Ibo,m State, Edo State, Bayelsa State and I thank God and I can say it and that is why today, since 2019 till now; yesterday we commissioned the ninth flyover, in December we will commission the 10th flyover, by February next year we will commission 11th and 12 flyovers. That day we will commission the cancer centre which we name after our leader, Dr. Peter Odili. Julius Berger built it and charged us N25.9 billion, equipped by GE, General Electric, we paid. No one naira is being owed. Not one.
“So, I want to sincerely, from my heart and on behalf of the government and people of the state, thank Mr. President for this because, I mean as an opposition government, he can as well say ‘don’t pay’. We can’t do anything, after all, since 1999 (we we were not paid),” he said.
On logistic support to Peter Obi
On his promise to give logistics support to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, Wike said he has not regret.
He said Obi as a former governor of Anambra State deserved respect and state protection.
He promised again to release vehicles and security for Obi’s campaign in Rivers State.
In their brief solidarity speeches, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue Sate restated the commitment of the G5 governors to fight for equity, rule of law and justice.
He said what is happening in the PDP is to ensure that everybody in the party is protected.
He re-echoed comments by Wike that they are not opposed to reconciliation but such effort must be based on equity, fairness and justice.
Ortom also commended Wike for using project commissioning to unite the country.
For Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the PDP will win in Rivers State as always since 1999 because the party is in the DNA of the people of the state.
Similarly, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State said he was convinced and satisfied that because the PDP has always won elections in Rivers, same will apply to the 2023 elections.
The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu joined his colleagues towards the end of the banquet as he was in Abuja to receive an award.
