I’ll expose Amaechi at the right time — Wike •You’re only playing to the gallery, Amaechi fires back

The festering crisis between Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi and the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, took a turn for the worse, as the latter has described the governor as a corrupt politician, saying he will expose him at the appropriate time. Wike, who spoke with chiefs from the Ogu Divisional Council of Chiefs in Ogu/Bolu Local Government Area of the state in his house in Port Harcourt, said that contrary to the impression being created by the governor, he was not as transparent and devoid of corruption as he wanted the public to believe. However, the governor, who had, only last week, accused the minister of breaching an oath between them, fired back, saying the minister was only playing to the gallery and was shifting attention away from issues that would transform the state. “Governor Amaechi is not as transparent as he claims to be. He wants Nigerians to see him as a social crusader, who is always ready to expose and criticise officials and agencies of the Federal Government
at any given time. “He is not a saint. Governor Amaechi knows that I know he is corrupt and he knows that I know him very well. Most people forget that I was Governor Amaechi’s Chief of Staff for four years; from 2007 to 2011. “Most people also pretend to forget that I was also Governor Amaechi’s Director of Campaign for the 2011 governorship election. So, I can conveniently claim to know Governor Amaechi more that most people,” Wike said. “I will expose Governor Amaechi at the appropriate time. I will expose the level of corruption in his government at the appropriate time. Governor Amaechi’s aides know that I am not unaware of the shady dealings in his administration. I challenge him to speak up,” he said. The minister also accused the governor of sponsoring some unnamed persons into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to cause confusion and disaffection within the ranks of party men and women in what he said was a deliberate scheme to frustrate the chances of the party in the 2015 general election. “I wonder why Governor Amaechi is so interested in the affairs of the PDP after he made fanfare of his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November 25, last year,” he said. However, Chief of Staff to the Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, who debunked the allegations, said it was unfortunate that the Supervising Minister of Education was discussing persons rather than focusing on issues that would transform the state. “How come the minister, who was Governor Amaechi’s campaign director in 2011 and who spoke so glowingly about the governor’s achievements, is now the one splashing mud on the same man he eulogised a few years back? “We will not join issues with Wike. We understand his politics and we are not perturbed,” he said. In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, dismissed the ministry’s allegations, saying he was only playing to the gallery. “Wike is just playing to the gallery. I don’t expect the minister to be playing dirty politics. “Governor Amaechi has challenged the minister at several fora to show evidence, if he has any, to justify his assertions that he (Amaechi) is corrupt. “It is unfair for the minister to make a blanket assertion that Governor Amaechi’s government is corrupt. I think the minister’s comments are uncharitable, indeed!” he said. Meanwhile, Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the people of Ogoniland for being resolute and united in taking Governor Amaechi and the Rivers State government to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over an alleged illegal seizure and abuse of rights of local farmers and landowners of the Banana Farm in Ogoni.