Wike orders prosecution of Ameachi, Cole, others over sales of state assets


Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to commence “diligent prosecution” of the illegal financial dealings of the former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state Tonye Cole, Sahara Energy and others over the sale of state assets.

Gov. Wike gave the directive on Friday during the swearing-in of three commissioners who were reappointed last week.

He said people want to find out what the state will do about the judicial panel of Inquiry set up by his administration to probe the sales of state assets to Sahara Energy.

He said “Attorney General, you’re at a critical period where people want to know what the State is going to do with the Judiciary Panel of Inquiry after the Supreme Court judgement on it.

“Luckily, you came at the right time when we have preferred criminal charges against the former governor (Amaechi), Sahara Energy, Tonye Cole and the rest of them.”

“So, you are coming at the right time to take over the matter and to make sure it is prosecuted diligently. I don’t want to hear excuses.

“Let the people see what happened to our money.

“The world will see how $50 million Dollar from our account was moved to a company without anything to show whether there was a business.”

The latest directive by Wike comes weeks after the Supreme Court affirmed the power of the state government to set up a panel of inquiry to probe any financial dealings.