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Wike impounds ex-Chief of Staff’s armoured car

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In continuation of his purported drive to recover government’s property from officials of the immediate past administration, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has again impounded an armoured Range Rover belonging to the immediate past Chief of Staff (COS), Government House, Chief Tony Okocha.

The bullet-proofed vehicle was removed from Okocha’s residence at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area at about 9am by security operatives attached to Government House.

Recently, a Lexus SUV was also removed from the residence of the former state Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari,

Though, the former aide to ex-governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was not around when the operation was carried out, it was gathered that the vehicle was taken away without any resistance.

Government officials had insisted that the armoured Range Rover belonged to Rivers State and not any individual.

Speaking on the development, Okocha said he was in Abuja to observe the Rivers Election Tribunal when he was informed that his vehicle had been taken away on the orders of Governor Wike.

Okocha maintained that the vehicle was his ‘status car,’ which the law allowed him to own after his service as a Government House chief of staff.

He explained that though he was not miffed by Wike’s action, he was only surprised at the governor’s ‘seeming introduction of militarism into democracy.

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  1. Oise

    June 29, 2015 at 9:39 am

    Is Wike trying to outperform his predecessor in terms of aggression? This vindictive approach to recovering government property might stir up more tension in a state that has been torn by avoidable political violence in the past couple of years.
    Basic wisdom would have suggested that the government should right now focus on reconciliation and rebuilding instead of this needless aggression.
    Wike should bear in mind that hostility is contagious.

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