Why Tonye Cole can’t be Rivers Governor-Wike
Governor Nyesom Wike has said Tonye Cole would not become next governor of River State, if the intention is to make it a personal estate.
He made the declaration at a thanksgiving service, yesterday, to celebrate the legal victory secured at the Supreme Court in the oil well dispute between Rivers and Imo states, at Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Port Harcourt.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Tonye Cole, would have to first answer to what happened to the $50 million his Sahara Energy Company received through a bank from the Rivers State government when Chibuike Amaechi was governor.
The governor insisted he was not against anybody aspiring to be governor of the state, but in the case of Cole, he must first give account of the money he received from the Amaechi’s administration.
“Whoever knows him should tell him. $50 million was taken from Rivers State Access Bank account and taken to Sahara Energy account. And I asked them what is the job you people did for Rivers State? Can I see the contract paper, did you people loan us money?”
Governor Wike said it should not be a situation where the former governor would bring his business partner to become governor when they have both sold and bought assets of the state including gas turbines.
“You think you can sell this state? The former governor think he can bring his business partner, after you have sold all our gas turbines, Olympia Hotel, collected our $50 million cash? People think we will sit here and you will sell our state? Nobody can sell this state. Nobody can make this state his personal estate. A governor must be somebody who wants to develop this state, not somebody who wants to put the state in his pocket.”