Hope Ikiriko, a former chairman of the Ahoada West Local Government Area in Rivers State, has dismissed the allegation that former governor Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, deducted N20 million monthly from local government allocations during his tenure.
The claim surfaced recently in a viral video, where Victor Odili, the former chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, accused Wike of making the deductions.
The allegation has gained traction amid ongoing political tensions between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former mentor, Wike, over control of the state.
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Ikiriko, speaking as a special guest at an appreciation event for leaders of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ahoada East Local Government, labeled the claim as baseless.
He emphasized that there was never any agreement between Wike and the local government chairmen of that time to authorize such deductions from their allocations.
“Let me conclude by correcting an impression that one of my former colleagues made recently on social media.
“The former chairman of ONELGA (Victor Odili) said the former governor asked us to submit letterhead paper and sign to authorise him to take N20mn from our allocation every month. That is a blatant lie. Nothing of such happened.
“On that note, let me advise you, whatever you are seeing today will fizzle out. We cannot advise any of you to join issues with any elder in the state and begin to insult people,” he said.
The appreciation party, organized by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, took place on Thursday in Ochigba town, Ahoada East.
Ikiriko expressed gratitude to Nwuche for uniting members of the PDP and APC in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West. He also praised the remarkable reception extended to Wike during his visit to the area on December 26, calling it unprecedented.
“What we witnessed the other day here was unprecedented because the impression is that it is only people in government that can smile, but you (Nwuche) have changed that impression.
“There is a way God does things. I look at all the PDP members and this present-day APC and I look at the other people, I do not know their names, you cannot compare,” he said.
The former council chairman stated that those who supported Wike throughout the political crisis in the state were in a better position, emphasizing that the time for reward was approaching.
“Right now, they have run down there and have seen that the field is not greener. They have noticed that it is an opportunity to be betrayed again and they want to come back.
“Even if they come, we now know the real thing and the real persons to deal with. I keep telling our leader (referring to Nwuche) and I am sure he has realised it now, but he has no cause to regret,” he said.
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