The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the Rivers State legislative rerun, Sen. Magnus Abe has described as “laughable” allegations by the State Governor, Nyesom Wike that he embezzled N4bn meant for a road project in the state.
Wike’s government was reported to have accused Abe of embezzling N4bn meant for Kpopie-Bodo Road project in the state.
But Abe in a statement by his spokesman, Parry Saroh Benson, said such accusation was far from the truth and it “desecrates the Office of the Governor of Rivers State.”
The APC candidate also berated the governor over the alleged claim, saying the accusation “shows the extent the Governor could go in stooping low and indulging in bare faced lies,” in a bid to stop him from being elected into the Senate.
According to Benson, Abe is not known for corruption and was not “a contractor so could not have embezzled the said money.”
The statement said, “The attention of Distinguished Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the legislative re-run election has been drawn to a statement credited to Mr. Nyesome Wike, the governor of Rivers State, imputing that he (Abe) embezzled N4 billion meant for the Kpopie-Bodo Road project.
“It is pertinent to state that Senator Abe is not cut out for corruption and was not the contractor, so could not have embezzled the money. The facts about the road project are there at the Ministry of Works for anybody to verify.
“Governor Wike should be reminded that contracts have terms and Ogoni people are wiser than any tricks he is trying to play.
“Let it be told to Rivers people and the Ogoni that no money was embezzled on the project rather the governor is owing the contractor to the tune of more than N400 million, which could have helped in completing the project.
“It is unfortunate to state that the governor being petty and vindictive has refused to pay the contractor in order to get back at Senator Abe, former Governor Chibuike Amaechi and the Ogoni as well as cancel and re-award the contract to his cronies.
“Any responsible person occupying the respected office of the governor should in public interest complete previous projects started by his predecessors. This, former Governor Amaechi did by completing all projects started by Chief Celestine Omehia. Such as Mile one/ Town markets, Okrika Ring Road, Eliozu fly-over and many more.
“It is expedient to tell Governor Wike that if the idea of the allegation is to stop Senator Abe from being voted to the Senate, he has failed woefully as the Ogoni have taken the decision to vote for him.
“Our people cannot be deceived by feckless claim of loving Ogoni people to the extent of forgetting his own Ikwerre people.
“The question the Ogoni should ask is why is Wike so engrossed about Abe’s election? He knows that voting Abe into the Senate would mean that the Ogoni from henceforth would not be looked down upon again in Rivers politics.”
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