PORT HARCOURT — Former Rivers State commissioners who served during the tenure of Ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi, weekend, in Port Harcourt, dismissed the report of misappropriated Rivers State funds during Mr. Amaechi’s tenure, as claimed by the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry[img]http://cdn1.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/412x250xRotimi-Amaechi.jpg.pagespeed.ic.rn9SS6ePCy.webp[/img]

They insisted that the report of the commission was not only a product of illegality, but also that the allegations of misappropriation of public funds were mere fabrications to malign Amaechi and those who worked with him.
The ex-commissioners, at a briefing, contended that it was illegal for a governor to set up a panel of inquiry based on mind- set, claiming that Governor Nyesom Wike and the chairman of the judicial commission of inquiry, Justice George Omereji, had allegedly set their minds on issues to be investigated by the commission before it even commenced proceedings.
Some of the former commissioners at the briefing were Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who was Commissioner for Information; Finance, Mr Chamberlain Peterside; Agriculture, Mr Emma Chinda; Power, Mr Austin Wokocha and Transport, Mr George Tolofari, among others.
Monorail
The former commissioners insisted that they all left handover notes in their various ministries before bowing out on May 29.
They recalled that Wike was the Chief of Staff to former Governor Amaechi at the time the decision was taken to construct a monorail to ease traffic congestion in Port Harcourt metropolis, noting that it was a collective decision of the state executive council.
They said that budgetary allocations for the project were expended on it, noting that at the time the project took off due process law was not in force in the state, but as soon as it was enacted, drivers of the project started interfacing with the necessary quarters in relation to the law on the project,
They said: “The decision to construct the Rivers Monorail Project was jointly adopted by the Rivers State Executive Council during Amaechi’s first tenure when the present governor, Chief Wike, was the Chief of Staff to the Governor at the time. When the decision to construct the monorail was taken, there was no Due Process law in existence in the state. But it should be noted that after the enactment of the Due Process law, the monorail project owner engineers, Arcus Gibb and officials of the Rivers State Ministry of Transport were constantly briefing and keeping the Due process team up to date on all issues as they related to the project. This fact can be backed up with several minutes of meetings between the Due Process team, officials of the Ministry of Transport and Arcus Gibb.”
Meltdown
Continuing the ex- commissioners said the global financial meltdown was the reason the private partner for the project could not fulfil its own end of the financial deal.
They said a committee headed by the former deputy governor recommended that government then should still go ahead with the project in spite of the failure of the private partner to implement its own part.
Exco Committee
The ex-commissioners said: “It should also be highlighted that after the PPP (Public Private Partnership) partners, TSI Property and Investment Holdings Ltd, pulled out of the project because of its inability to contribute its own 80% equity contribution (Due to the financial crash of 2008).
The former deputy governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru, headed an Executive Council committee to review and recommend if the Rivers State Government should continue with the project. The committee recommended that government should continue with the construction of the monorail project with Arcus Gibb acting as the project consultants.”
According to them, the first phase of the monorail project measuring about 2.6 kilometre was technically completed, stressing that the project should not be abandoned as it would ease traffic for business to thrive, saying, “The monorail project is even more significant now given the recent fall in the price of oil and the need for government to create a conducive environment for local business to thrive. There is no better way to help local businesses thrive than putting in place a proper transport infrastructure network.
Extent of work
“By the end of Mr. Amaechi’s tenure, two stations had been completed, Azikiwe and UTC stations.The Depot and Sharks Park stations were already 80% completed. The train has been mounted and tested. In fact, the first phase of the project (2.6 km stretch) could be said to have been technically completed. It is infantile and the height of irresponsibility to request that N33 billion be returned to the Rivers State Government. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the rudiments of governance and infrastructural developments.”
Agricultural credit loan scheme
On the agricultural credit loan scheme allegedly shared as grant to ex-council chairmen during governor Amaechi’s tenure, the former commissioners said 380 mother cooperative societies benefited from it, stressing that the records were in the ministry,
They said: “About N3.1 billion was disbursed from the funds leaving behind about N900 million with Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture account for the completion of the projects.”

menix:
Hahahaha..

Would they have said otherwise...

Tortoise would always mate tortoise, so defending their Philanthropist is not surprising...

How I wish amadioha will take over corrupt cases by sending slap to those guilty...

bonechamberlain:
amaechi is the most foolish man the world has ever known ....

Nigeria as a country was created in a way where the northerners would always be in charge. since independence show me one northerner that has been jailed for corruption or any crime whatever and I would show u ten southerners that has been jailed. despite the north claiming to have the highest population and highest political office holders, yet southern leaders are always the ones being harassed.

this was what GEJ saw and was slowly trying to balance this country but useless, cowards and self centered people like amaechi and to a large extent tinubu connived with the same north to boot out GEJ. (let me don't talk about the northern spy obj).

for those who want to call me tribalist, listen, the most tribal and parochial people in Nigeria are from the north, they never shout or pull down their own. but come to the south some useless politicians who doesn't want to be seen as tribalist would be the first to pull down their own .

tribalism is very high in Nigeria whether we like it or not and the north had always used it to get political power and clout and has used it to the fullest to make life difficult for any strong minded southerner.

until the southern states stars using their common sense and start becoming tribal, the north would always decide who is who in this country and would continue to trample upon southerners.

where are all the northerners in the past govt, u don't hear their name about corruption, only those from the south were corrupt under Gej. cause the north don't want any southerner to have any political clout or financial muscle to challenge them.

look at even apc, it has been hijacked by the North and some northern extremist, where is oyegun he has suddenly kept quiet, even lai Mohammed is now jostling for ministerial post running helter skelter to the so called northern masters to accept him, very soon tinubu would be abandoned, cause all his boys are now under the arm of the northern cabal.

may God give southerners wisdom before its too late

predatorX:



mehn, you can rant oooo

the only chance GEJ had to show the rest of naija that the South was made of substance was blown away by his drunkeness and stupidity. And that woman, smh. , that woman ruined him fairly and squarely.

menix:


How I wish amadioha will take over corrupt cases by sending slap to those guilty...

bonechamberlain:
GEJ caused his misfortune, I don't pity him, but most of his supporters support him not because of his efficiency but because it was time to tell the north they don't own Nigeria, but unfortunately the evil north won again

forget about diezani, all you hear about her are all propaganda, until the buhari led apc take her to court, don't believe all those nonsense...

this cowardice of southern leaders is nauseating

predatorX:


i'm not talking about "sleazy-@$$" Dezianey, i'm talking about DAME PAT. If GEJ had placed a "gag-order" on her and curbed her excesses earlier into his admin, may be the rest of us would not have thought She was the real Commander-in-Chief while he a figurehead sissy

My aged parents are Landlords in Lagos today because a Northerner remembered their service to our fatherland and payed them their Pension arrears and gratuities with accompanying interests and harmonizations. They forever and ever bless the good memories of Late President Musa Yar'Adua, the only president to care for the masses. Reduced pump-price twice, sold kero @N50

That useless vagabond, son of a baboon called OBJ, a southerner, ruined the lives of so many people. Owed pension and gratuities of people old enough to be his fathers, who have put in over 35years of service. That is how evil a Southerner is. They see you suffering and dying and they close their eyes and carry-on.

Now the drunkard GEJ before PMB owed salaries, pensions and emoluments of aged people while Deziani, Okonjo-Iweala,Asari,Tompolo,Stella were cornering $XXXbillions.

You fact-check this....Northerners have always benefitted Nigerians in General(chop-i-chop). Southerners have always benefited KABALS and CRONIES (Chop Alone)

So bros i believe northerners die, Southerners are perpetual fuckups