…alleges facility surreptitiously stopped to punish Ikpeazu, Ortom for being loyal to him
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to expose those who surreptitiously seized the loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria to Abia and Benue States.
Wike alleged that the motive was to punish Governor Samuel Ortom and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for being his allies in the struggle for the resignation of the National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu.
The Rivers governor stated this at the 58th birthday celebration of Ikpeazu in his country home in Umuobiakwa, Obingwa Local Government Area on Tuesday.
Wike, who was quoted in a statement issued by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said, “I will tell you very soon, how money that was supposed to come to Abia State for my friend to use to develop Abia State was stopped recently by those who think they own this country, by those who think Ikpeazu did not support them.
“Because Ikpeazu supported me, they went and stopped Abia State from getting the money they are supposed to get to develop Ariara market.
“Okezie Ikpeazu is just governor of Abia State. He is not the owner of Abia State He is just a symbol of Abia State. Anybody who fights Abia State, you’re not fighting Okezie, you are fighting the people of Abia.”
The Rivers governor, who was the special guest of honour at the event, was in company with former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose.
According to him, the CBN loan is a facility that is made available to every state of the federation, noting that Rivers State Government has already accessed and secured the loan.
Wike said, “I will tell all of you, how Abia and Benue States were denied of their money that every state had gotten from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“I got it (CBN loan). And anybody who dare to stop my money, they know, I will not take it from them. You can see how people are wicked, they are not in office yet, but they are fighting people, stopping states money.
“Even as we have criticized President Muhammadu Buhari, he has never stopped our money any day, never.
“Let me tell all of you here, let me use the opportunity and Nigerians will hear. I never told him I will say this.
“Why would some people think some of us are not Nigerians, some people think some of us are slaves. We would never be slaves. I will never be a slave to anybody.”
Reiterating his position on the internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, Wike said his allies demand was for inclusivity, wherein every region is given a sense of belonging.
He added, “So, I have told Ikpeazu to continue to be quiet and be a professor of proverbs. When we went to London, he told the person who called us to the meeting in London, you see this thing happening to PDP now is like that ship that wanted to capsize carrying Jonah.
“So, as the ship was going down, they went to Jonah, who said it’s me, it’s not the ship, and they took Jonah out of the ship. Jonah did not die.
“The ship stabilised. So, why not throw this Jonah out so that the ship can stabilize.”