Dracula27: Jerry Needam Press Statement ESI: Account For All Illegal Dues Collected From Council Chairmen, Lawmakers By Your Wife, PDP Tells Amaechi Following the admission by Mrs Judith Amaechi, wife of Gov Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of collecting N35m from each of the 23 Council Chairmen across the State supposedly for her Empowerment Support Initiate (ESI) with nothing to show for it, the State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wants Gov. Amaechi to tell Rivers people what happened to the billions of naira. Happy that Gov Amaechi’s wife has at last admitted what she has denied over time though belated, the PDP through a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on Media to the State Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah said the issue is no longer whether or not the council chairmen were compulsorily levied but where were the monies channeled into. The party also wishes to note that a similar compulsory levy was made on the House of Assembly by Mrs Judith Amaechi. According to the party, this is just one of such clandestine devices Gov Amaechi and his wife are using to milk the State dry till date. More worrisome, the PDP said, was the threat issued to the unwilling council Chairmen and lawmakers to ensure compliance, stressing that Mrs Amaechi lied by presenting the case as though the monies were voluntary donations whereas the monies were deducted from the councils’ allocations at source. “What else could be a better way of extorting money from political office holders and duping the State than this, yet Amaechi has the guts to talk about corrupt public officers as if he is a saint which he is not. We hope those who have been deceived into thinking that we are just crying wolf over nothing can now believe us. This is just a tip of the iceberg. A lot more revelations will be made in due course”, the PDP declared. It would be recalled that the immediate past Minister of State for Education, and leader of PDP in the State, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike had while addressing newsmen Monday, October 27, 2014 in Port Harcourt raised the issue of mandatory levy of N35m on each of the 23 council chairmen in the State to Gov Amaechi’s wife’s pet project, the Empowerment Support Initiative which were allegedly diverted to private use. Mrs Amaechi while responding through her press secretary, Mr Bekwele admitted collecting the monies.
Signed: Jerry Needam Special Adviser, on Media to State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah Tuesday, October 28, 2014. PDP will not win Rivers. Any money PDP is spending on Wike is flushing down the drain. |