The controversy concerning Rivers State’s treasury took a different dimension on Saturday when Governor Nyesom Wike disagreed with his predecessor’s insistence that he left N7.5bn cash in the state’s coffers.

Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi had, in a statement, said a total of N7.5bn cash was left behind as the balances for the state’s internally generated revenue account with Skye Bank; the Federal Account Allocation Committee accounts with Zenith Bank and Access Bank; and the state’s Reserve Funds in First Bank

But Wike, on Saturday, dismissed Amaechi’s claim and asked why students under the state’s scholarship scheme were not paid their tuition fees and other allowances.

According to the governor, a fraction of N7.5bn would have saved the final-year students abroad the trauma of standing the risk of being sent back home from their various foreign universities.

Wike, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah, recalled when he had to send the sum of N713m to various foreign universities for Rivers students’ tuition fees and other allowances.

He said, “If he (Amaechi) is saying he left N7.5bn, why did he fail to pay Rivers students studying abroad under the state government’s scholarship scheme, apart from the fact that pensioners were owed between six and eight months’ pension arrears?

“The former governor has been inconsistent in the amount he said he left in the treasury. On one hand, he would say he left N7.5bn, and in the next breath, he would say he left N10bn.

“But we have been consistent in saying we met an empty treasury with huge debts to pay. Civil servants, footballers (Rivers Angels and Dolphins) and contractors were owed. But we thank God that we started paying them after we settled in. We have made our point and we are consistent about it.”

However, Amaechi disagreed with Wike, saying it is wrong for the governor to measure the non-payment of students and contractors with his claim that he (Amaechi) left funds in the state coffers.

Amaechi, who spoke through his former aide, Mr. Tony Okocha, said, “Wike should know that anything about government is about procedures and processes. That students abroad were not paid does not mean that there were no funds in the state treasury.

http://www.punchng.com/news/treasury-wike-amaechi-bicker-again/

Seems like all what Gov Wike is really doing is dissipating so much of his political energy on Amaechi? Trying to make him look bad- But he should know Amaechi is someone who doesn't back down easily? If he(Amaechi) can singlehandedly end GEJ Political Career, then Wike should tread cautiously..

Amaechi, face the fact that you loot Rivers dry. Who is even talking about you? We still hear about you today because Buhari and APC and not honest. You are the litmus taste for Buhari's acclaimed fight against corruption.

pls we are tired of all these baseless arguements we need facts,backup your allegation and claim with fact/financial statement we are in the information age.

DonaldGenes:
Seems like all what Gov Wike is really doing is dissipating so much of his political energy on Amaechi? Trying to make him look bad- But he should know Amaechi is someone who doesn't back down easily? If he(Amaechi) can singlehandedly end GEJ Political Career, then Wike should tread cautiously..

I agree wike should be careful of how he is trying to tarnish the image of amaechi, but amaechi didnt singlehandedly end GEJ political career rather he took part.

Wike just made me believe that ameachi was saying the truth
Cos the wike I know, if ameachi lied about would have published the state account just to shame ameachi

I don't know why this been made so difficult. Publish the statement of account if you know you met nothing in the treasury.

That's a simple truth we all in Rivers know. If he left over N7b how come he owe civil servants and teachers more than 4 months. That guy closed rivers account just to finance D³.

Amaechi is a born liar, he looted Rivers state dry and deserve to be in a dark dungeon where Tinubu will be blowing air into his nostrils

All the noise making about Amaechi looting Rivers State money dry by Wike is just to smear Amaechi's name. Why can't Wike file a case against Amaechi and save us the rants?