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Wike seeks N10bn loan to host PDP convention, APC alleges

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With this INEC 2019 may be a dream, Wike warns

The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that Governor Nyesom Wike of the state has
received approval by the State’s House of Assembly to obtain another N10 billion loan from a commercial bank.

While the party said no reason was attached to the loan request before the RSHA approved it, “The APC particularly notes with dismay that this latest N10 billion loan is for the governor to write off the cost of hosting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention slated for Saturday, 21st May, 2016 in Port Harcourt”.

The party in a statement signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Senibo Chris Finebone, recalled that “records show that the governor has obtained an unprecedented total of N90 billion as loan since becoming governor of Rivers
State.”

It continued, that “with the obvious questionable deployment of these loans by the governor, it is clear to all that the future of Rivers people, their living and unborn children has eternally been mortgaged by a governor driven by selfish, vainglorious and ignoble motives”.

The statement reads: “Very worrisome is the fact that the governor lavishes a substantial portion of these loans on his personal pursuits and insatiable crave for mundane earthly pleasures and that of his friends.

“The governor shortly after obtaining the first set of loans purchased a needless N300 million luxury armoured mobile office. Even as that insensitive action has since set tongues wagging, the governor took his friends to Spain to watch the decisive UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Wolsburg of Germany followed by a lavish party to celebrate Madrid’s 3-2 aggregate win because the governor is a fan of Real Madrid.

Read also: Confusion as 2 PDP factions sell nomination forms in Adamawa

“For now, the governor and his friends have concluded plans to spend another N105 million ($300,000.00) to go and
watch UEFA Champions League final slated for May 28, 2016 in Milan, Italy.

“Back home, public servants and pensioners have gone for months without pay. Local government workers are crying for help because they have not been paid salaries. While the past administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took payment of teachers off the local councils to free up money to pay salaries of council workers and provision of other services by the councils, Gov Nyesom Wike has pounced on council funds and is merely giving out handouts to his Caretaker Chairmen, money not enough for the greed of the Chairmen”, the party alleged.

The party went on to “call on banks offering endless loans to Gov. Nyesom Wike to desist forthwith. Surprisingly, the government is backing such loans with dubious collateral security to the knowledge of the bank officials. Rivers State future federal allocations have already been mortgaged up to 2019 as collateral security for earlier loans taken by Gov Wike; so is the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State.

“The APC also calls on the Hon. Minister of Finance, the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and all other relevant entities to strictly enforce regulations that protect the peoples’ money from the shackles of shylock governors like Chief Nyesom Wike. No governor should be allowed to mortgage the future of the people the way Gov. Wike is doing”, it said.

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