Politics

Wike: Atiku’s campaign chair sold oil block for $15m

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council in the state, Sen. Lee Maeba, of executing some shoddy oil block deals.

Wike said the former senator was awarded an oil block and sold it for $15 million, instead of growing the business.

The governor stated that with the funds, Senator Maeba has never sponsored any Ogoni student on scholarship, or executed a constituency project for his people.

He said this while speaking at the inauguration of the 17.2 kilometres Bori-Kono Road in Baen, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Friday.

Governor Wike equally challenged Maeba to mention anything he had done for his people, saying the school the former senator attended has not gotten any intervention from him.

The governor revealed that the Bori Town Internal Roads and Luae East-West Road that was awarded to the former senator were not done.

Wike said despite the refusal of Senator Maeba to execute the contract concerning Bori Town Internal Roads, he will re-award the project that will be likely completed by the administration of PDP governorship candidate in the state, Siminialayi Fubara, “when he wins” the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state.

He further dismissed the alleged assassination attempt levelled against him by Maeba, saying he had never contemplated sending people to kill the former senator because he is not his style of politics.

Governor Wike stressed that his explanation has become necessary to set the record straight for posterity.

He asserted that politically, Maeba is not a threat or a major influential of votes whether in Khana council or in the entire Rivers State.

Wike insisted that while as council chairman, Chief of Staff, minister, and now governor, he attracted projects to his immediate community and the state, adding that Senator Maeba has never attracted any project to Ogoni.

The governor further stated that politics of violence is alien to him because he is a believer of the rule of law.

Governor Wike maintained that even in the face of political provocation, unfounded allegations, and outright disregard to statutory laws by “unruly” politicians, his administration can not resort to political violence.

The Star