N2bn school building scam: Amaechi’s allegation frivolous —Wike •Calls for probe of N7.5bn hospital project

MINISTER of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, has denied the allegation that he diverted the sum of N2billion meant for the building of 14 model schools in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The state governor, Rotimi Amachi, had, during his ‘meet-the-people’ tour of the local council, last week, accused the junior minister of embezzling the money, which he alleged was given to him for the purpose of the model school project.

Speaking when the people of Evo Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area visited him in his house at Port Harcourt, weekend, Wike said he was never given such amount of money, adding that he was not the commissioner for education to merit such contract.

The minister said: “The governor must have mistaken me for his wife and concubines who took away all the jobs,” threatening to expose the alleged secret deals of the Amaechi-led government with all the dossiers at his disposal as the governor’s former chief of staff.

“Let me say it clearly that he has never given any money to me to build a school. Let him mention those schools and communities. Assuming that he gave me 14 schools, am I the commissioner for education?

“If he gave me the contract and the job was not done, why didn’t he arrest me? If he gave me the job and I refused to do it, why did he recommend me to be appointed as a minister?” he said.

Wike challenged Governor Amaechi to account for the sum of N7.5billion (US$50m), allegedly being the contract sum for the construction of 1,000-bed Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital proposed to be sited at the Greater Port Harcourt City.

He alleged that the money was released to the state commissioner for health without due approval and wondered why the hospital had not been built despite demolishing the old one that was in good use, adding “where is that money and where is the 1,000-bed hospital?”

He also alleged that the Amaechi government hired a Ghanaian contractor for the landscaping of Port Harcourt City at a cost of about N3billion, only for the contractor to abandon the project and fled from the state.

Speaking on his speculated governorship ambition, Wike said nobody can intimidate him if he decided to contest, adding, “very soon you will hear from me. If I choose to run, for instance, if heaven falls, that will be good for all of us. But nobody can intimidate me out of the race.”

He assured supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state that whoever wins the party’s primaries, would win the actual election.

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